Louis van Gaal refuses to rule out return to management amid rumours of replacing Fernando Santos as Portugal boss
Former Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal has refused to rule out a return to management amid rumours he could replace Fernando Santos as Portugal manager.
Van Gaal says he's retired but will listen to offers, as he is linked with the Portuguese national team job. He said (via Metro):
"I’m retired again. But if they call me, I’ll listen. That’s all I can say."
The LVG effect 💪
Louis van Gaal has now managed ten World Cup games without ever losing, the highest tally for a manager without defeat in the competition 🇳🇱
#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup https://t.co/J4UfoLLQmO
The Dutchman stepped down from his role as manager of the Oranje after their quarterfinal exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup following a 4-2 penalty shootout defeat to Argentina. He had previously retired before taking on the role of Netherlands boss for the second time in his career in 2021.
Portugal's job is up for grabs now that Santos has departed following their FIFA World Cup exit in the quarterfinals after a 1-0 defeat to Morocco. However, Van Gaal is not the top candidate, with Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas also being linked.
The former Manchester United manager has also been linked with the Belgium job after Roberto Martinez left after their group stage exit in the World Cup. Van Gaal touched on that too but added that he's not flirting with either nation's job despite his apparent openness to hold talks:
"That was not a flirt, questions were asked about it. I can’t help that, I have to answer that. I’m not flirting with Portugal right now either."
Van Gaal is one of world football's most renowned coaches, having had stints at Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He has won the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga (twice), and Eredivisie (four times) during his illustrious career.
German legend Lothar Matthaus labels Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as big flop of 2022 FIFA World Cup
Germany icon Matthaus has named Cristiano Ronaldo the biggest flop of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo, 37, went into the tournament eyeing Eusebio’s record of nine goals scored by a Portuguese player in World Cup competition. However, the iconic forward struggled for form, managing just one goal in five games. He was dropped by Santos in the knockouts, with Portugal beating Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16.
His replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a memorable hat-trick. Ronaldo also started on the bench in the quarterfinal defeat to Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo talking about Portugal 🇵🇹 https://t.co/di6AtMnqfl
Ronaldo's longtime rival Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup with Argentina, while the Portugal captain was sent packing in the quarterfinals. Matthaus slammed the former United attacker for his performance in Qatar, telling BILD:
“Cristiano Ronaldo is, of course, the big flop of this World Cup, the opposite of Messi. He has damaged the team and himself with his ego trip."
Ronado's strike against Ghana made him the first player to score at five World Cups.