Reports from the UK say that sacked Manchester United manager, Louis
Van Gaal heard of his impending axe from his expected successor, Jose
Mourinho.
The widespread reports claimed that Dutchman knew he was finished at
Old Trafford in a shock phone call from his successor Jose Mourinho.
According to Mirror UK, “The ex-Chelsea manager rang his old
Barcelona mentor in the past few weeks to confirm Old Trafford chiefs
had approached him about taking the hot-seat.”
Van Gaal was finally sacked on Monday after two years in charge, with
former Chelsea boss Mourinho set to replace him on a three-year deal.
The tabloid reported further: “…it has emerged Mourinho rang the
Dutchman, with whom he worked at Barcelona, himself to admit United had
sounded him out about the Old Trafford job.
“Mourinho is said to have made the call
in the last couple of weeks to preserve his long-standing friendship
with Van Gaal , and to ensure there was no ill-feeling when it emerged
he was the man United wanted.
“Until that point, the 64-year-old had defiantly dismissed the notion
that he would be sacked with a year remaining on his contract,
believing he would see out his three-year deal.
“But Mourinho’s call, confirming United’s approach, left Van Gaal in
no doubt he was a dead man walking, even if he secured a top-four spot
to ensure Champions League football next season, and won the FA Cup.”
Louis Van Gaal informed of his fate by executive vice-chairman Ed
Woodward in a face-to-face meeting at the club’s AON Training Complex
shortly after 9.30am on Monday.
His backroom staff, consisting of Frans Hoek, Albert Stuivenberg and
Max Reckers, were also informed their contracts were being terminated.
Woodward thanked Van Gaal for his work over the past two years but
said he felt the squad needed new leadership and had decided to make the
change.
Van Gaal, although frustrated at the decision, is understood to have
accepted it with good grace and then spent the next few hours discussing
his severance package with lawyers.
Mourinho is expected to be confirmed as the new boss on Wednesday,
with his agent Jorge Mendes having flown to Manchester to conclude a
heavily-incentivised £45million deal.
It is understood the Special One’s basic salary will be £10m a year,
with that figure potentially rising to £15m on the completion of
success-related clauses.
Mirror UK says that Mourinho met Woodward last week, when he was
given assurances he would have total control of team affairs without any
external interference.
