They may not see eye to eye but Ronald Koeman has defended Louis van Gaal and thinks Manchester United handled his sacking poorly.

  • By Michael Bell
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01 koemAfter months of speculation that van Gaal would be sacked and Jose Mourinho appointed at Manchester United, the rumours came true last week. Van Gaal was officially let go by the club on Monday despite the FA Cup win, and Mourinho was drafted in only a few days later.

Quoted by the Mirror, Ronald Koeman has defended van Gaal for the way he has handled the pressure at Old Trafford, and blasted Manchester United for clearly planning Mourinho’s appointment without telling his fellow Dutchman.

Koeman said, “I have watched the process around Louis and Jose Mourinho from a distance.

“For months we were all reading that Mourinho was busy with Manchester United.

“If Louis was not told about getting the sack until after the FA Cup Final, then Manchester United as a club don’t deserve a medal for the way they treated him.

“If you know a little bit about the business at the highest level in football, then you know that these kind of deals are not done over night.

“But Louis has been put under tremendous pressure for months. This is why I admire the way he kept his dignity.

“Of course, he had a number of run-ins with the media and there were moments when I thought ‘Louis, you could have dealt with that in another way.’ But Louis is Louis.

“But looking at the incredible pressure all around him, I think he did a great job winning a big trophy like the FA Cup.”




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