Former Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal, 72, has revealed in an interview with Dutch television channel RTL that Bayern Munich approached him to be their manager before appointing Vincent Kompany. He also confirmed that his cancer is under control.
Van Gaal shared, “Bayern approached me before appointing Kompany. It surprised me a lot.” He previously managed Bayern Munich between 2009 and 2011, winning the Bundesliga and the German Cup. “Second stints” are not unusual in Van Gaal’s managerial career, having managed Barcelona twice and the Netherlands three times.
The news has sparked debate across social media platforms. If Bayern were more inclined to hire a 72-year-old manager dealing with cancer, potentially limiting his workload, does this suggest a lack of initial confidence in Kompany? Could this pose challenges for the Belgian’s Bayern tenure? Opinions are divided.
Van Gaal also spoke about his health: “Things are going well now, my cancer is under control. I can go to the toilet naturally again, but I can’t have sex anymore. That’s a problem when you have prostate cancer.”
When asked why he chose to discuss these personal matters openly, Van Gaal explained: “This is to support others who are struggling with cancer so they can continue living their lives. I’ve always been open about my feelings and thoughts, hoping to give people some confidence. Prostate cancer doesn’t kill quickly, although some people do die from it, but mostly due to complications. Was I scared after being diagnosed? Never, but it did affect my life. I found life less enjoyable.”
The 72-year-old Van Gaal still expresses a desire to continue coaching. Due to his age and health, he’s not interested in managing a club, but remains open to a less demanding role, such as managing a national team. This explains why he declined Bayern’s offer.
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