The former Bayern coach wants to know again: a tricky task for Louis van Gaal

When Louis van Gaal started his new job as a bond coach of the Dutch national football team at the beginning of the month, the radio broadcaster NOS once again took pictures from the beginning of its first term.The face of the now 70 -year -old van Gaal has become significantly more angular.A lot of time has passed since its first commitment to the Elfal.

This was already clear from the fact that the journalists at the first press conference van Gaals kept smoking cigarettes in their fingers as a bond coach.It was more than 21 years ago.

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"That's what I'm back here!" Van Gaal called his declared friends from the press at his presentation.For the third time after 2000 and 2012, he is now trying as a national coach in the Netherlands.As before him Guus Hiddink or Dick Advocaat.

Regardless of their success in football, the Netherlands are a small country.For this reason alone, most of their well -known coaches have looked after the national team more than once, and the unhealthy fluctuation in the position of the bond coach has even more tightened.In the term of office of Joachim Löw alone at the German national team, a total of ten coaches were sitting on the bench at the Elftal.

His retirement lasted five years

So now again Louis van Gaal, who returns from his retirement five years after his departure of Manchester United."Who else could have taken on this job?", He asked his own modesty when he imagined his own modesty."If I had been in the position of the KNVB, I would also have ended up with me."

There is another summer of crisis behind Dutch football after the Elftal at the European Championship after a promising start has already failed in the round of 16 in the Czech Republic.Frank de Boer, who won the Champions League with Ajax Amsterdam under the coach Van Gaal in 1995, was then no longer possible as a bond coach.And that it would once again be on Louis van Gaal, which was - even due to a lack of other alternatives - quickly obvious.

„Er ist der absolut beste Coach, um uns zur WM zu lotsen", sagt Nico-Jan Hoogma, der Sportdirektor des Fußballverbandes KNVB. Das Fachblatt „Voebal International" hat van Gaal in diesem Sommer zum zweitbesten Trainer der holländischen Fußballgeschichte gekürt – hinter Rinus Michels. „Erfahrung ist in diesem Moment sehr wichtig", sagt van Gaal selbst.

In their qualification group for the World Cup in Qatar, the Dutch is currently only in second place behind Turkey, tied with Norway and Montenegro. „Ich glaube an den Kader, aber es wird nicht einfach werden", sagt van Gaal, der für sein Comeback zwei Debütanten (Devyne Rensch von Ajax und Tyrell Malacia von Feyenoord Rotterdam) nominiert hat und anders als de Boer bei der EM wieder auf Abwehrchef Virgil van Dijk zurückgreifen kann.

„Mein persönliches Ziel ist es, Weltmeister zu werden", hat van Gaal bei seinem Einstand gesagt.In 2014 he was already close.With the Dutch standards more pragmatic football made it to the semi -finals under him in Brazil.There she only failed in the penalty shootout on Argentina and ended up in the World Cup press.

But the circumstances are at the beginning of the "epoch Louis III." (so die Zeitung „AD") durchaus kompliziert.On Monday evening, van Gaal was on the training ground for the first time, after just one and a half days of preparation this Wednesday, he meets Norway in Oslo before the home games against Montenegro and Turkey follow. Angesichts dieses Auftaktprogramms schrieb das „NRC Handelsblad" über den neuen Bondscoach: „Er setzt seinen guten Namen aufs Spiel."

The debut on 1.September?There was something

Van Gaal selbst bezeichnet sich als Prozesstrainer, „die ersten drei Monate waren nie gewaltig", sagt er.That was also the case in 2009 at Bayern Munich.At the beginning of October, after a good three months in office, he and his team were in eighth place.In the end he became champion and cup winner with the Bayern, and was also in the final of the Champions League.

But this time he doesn't have that much time.Van Gaal has to deliver with his team, immediately. „Die Umfragen behaupten, dass ich sehr viele Fans habe", sagt er."But if we lose against Norway, what can happen, then I'm suddenly not a good coach."

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Especially since the date of the key game against Norway is strained in football history.To the day exactly 20 years ago, on 1.September 2001, Van Gaal lost with the Elftal in Dublin 0-1 against Ireland.Due to this defeat, Holland for the first time since 1986 missed participation in the World Cup.