Louis van Gaal announces retirement after heartbreaking defeat to Argentina

Van Gaal’s 20-match unbeaten streak since replacing Frank de Boer last summer came to end on Friday night when the Netherlands lost to Argentina in the quarterfinals.

Published : Dec 10, 2022 11:23 IST

Wout Weghorst, left, is consoled by the Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarterfinal against Argentina at the Lusail Stadium on December 10, 2022.
Wout Weghorst, left, is consoled by the Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarterfinal against Argentina at the Lusail Stadium on December 10, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
infoIcon

Wout Weghorst, left, is consoled by the Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarterfinal against Argentina at the Lusail Stadium on December 10, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP

The Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal bid farewell to his coaching career after a heartbreaking quarterfinal defeat to Argentina in the penalty shootout on Friday night.

“First and foremost I will not be continuing. I only did it for this period of time. This was my very last match of my third term as head coach,” the 71-year-old said in his post-match press conference.

Van Gaal, who joined the Netherlands in 2021 as the head coach, continued to manage the Dutch side despite being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. He underwent chemotherapy treatment and recovered before the World Cup.

Van Gaal’s 20-match unbeaten streak since replacing Frank de Boer last summer came to end on Friday night when the Netherlands lost to Argentina in the quarterfinals.

“In that time, I coached 20 matches, and we didn’t lose a single one. I do not know how many matches we won, but you can Google ‘Louis van Gaal, Dutch team’ and see the goal difference for yourself,” added Van Gaal.

He, however, is not disappointed with the outcome as his team remained unbeaten in the regulation time and said, “I do not think we have been beaten today. It was only a penalty shoot-out.”

In his illustrious career, Van Gaal, a former physical education teacher, managed top clubs across Europe: from Ajax in the Netherlands to Barcelona in Spain to Bayern Munich in Germany to Manchester United in England.

Hailing the Netherlands players, he said, “What I am leaving behind is a great group. Personally and football-wise, this is a team that is very close and with a lot of skill. I was a coach for 20 matches, and we never lost over that time. That’s for a reason. We have played against top countries as well, although those countries were eliminated earlier in the competition.”

Also Read | Argentina qualifies for FIFA World Cup semifinal after 4-3 penalty shootout win against Netherlands in quarterfinal

In the match, Argentina took a 2-0 lead with a first-half goal from Nahuel Molina and a second penalty from Lionel Messi. The Netherlands, however, forced Argentina into a penalty shoot-out after Wout Weghorst scored twice - the first one in the 83rd minute and then the equaliser in the stoppage time.

In the shootout, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez put up a brilliant performance as he dived to save spot-kicks from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis in a 4-3 win over the Netherlands.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment