7 instances when Louis van Gaal had a fallout with footballers

Manchester United’s new boss Louis van Gaal is clearly not the favourite manager around, but without any doubt, he is certainly a man of character. The Dutchman had plenty to say for himself and others throughout his career, making several enemies on and off the pitch. We already know what the former Netherlands head coach has to say about himself, but what do his former colleagues have to say about him?In this slideshow, we take a look at seven such players who clearly are not his biggest fans. Updated on 17 July with additional content by Rohit Menon

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic: \"He wanted to be a dictator, without a hint of a gleam in his eye.\"

Often known for his direct comments, Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played under Louis van Gaal at Ajax who was working as a technical director for the club back in 2004. A decade later now, the two don’t seem to be the best of friends, at least that is what Ibrahimovic believes.

**Following is an excerpt from his autobiography I Am Zlatan:**

We headed to a training camp in Portugal and, by that time Beenhakker had resigned as director and was replaced by Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal was a pompous ass. He was a little like Co Adriaanse. He wanted to be a dictator, without a hint of a gleam in his eye. As a player, he'd never stood out, but he was revered in the Netherlands because, as a manager, he'd won the Champions League with Ajax and received some medal from the government.

Van Gaal liked to talk about playing systems. He was one of those in the club who referred to the players as numbers. There was a lot of Five goes here and Six goes there, and I was glad when I could avoid him. In Portugal, I couldn't escape. I had to go in for a meeting with van Gaal and Koeman and listen to how they viewed my contribution in the first half of the season. It was like a performance review with grades, the kind of thing they loved at Ajax. I went into an office there and sat down in front of van Gaal and Ronald Koeman. Koeman smiled. Van Gaal looked sullen.

"Zlatan," said Koeman, "you've played brilliantly, but you're only getting an eight. You haven't worked hard enough at the back."

"Okay, fine," I said, wanting to leave.

I liked Koeman, but couldn't cope with van Gaal, and I thought, Great, an eight will do me. Can I have a break now?

"Do you know how to play in defence?" Van Gaal was sticking his oar in, and I could see that Koeman was getting annoyed too.

"I hope so," I replied.

Then van Gaal started to explain, and, believe me, I'd heard it all before. It was the same old stuff about how Nine—that is, me— defends to the right, while Ten goes to the left, and vice versa, and he drew a bunch of arrows and finished with a really harsh "Do you understand? Do you get all this?," and I took it as an attack.

"You can wake up any of the players at three in the morning," I said, "and ask them how to defend and they'll rattle it off in their sleep: Nine goes here and Ten goes there. We know that stuff, and we know you're the one who came up with it. But I've trained with van Basten, and he thinks otherwise."

"Excuse me?"

"Van Basten says Number Nine should save his strength for attacking and scoring goals, and, to tell the truth, now I don't know who I should listen to, van Basten – who's a legend – or van Gaal?" I said, putting special emphasis on the name van Gaal, as if he were some completely insignificant figure.

And what do you reckon? Was he happy?

He was fuming. Who should I listen to, a legend or van Gaal? "I've gotta go now," I said, and got out of there.

#2 Franck Ribery: \"I cannot say that I have much fun with him or that I have a special relationship with him.\"

While playing under van Gaal at Bayern Munich, Franck Ribery revealed that all was not well under the Dutch, and the constant criticism directed towards Ribery made it difficult for him to have fun at the club.

"I cannot say that I have much fun with him or that I have a special relationship with him," he told reporters in 2010. "I do my job and he does his. I give it my best, do everything to get fit again, but when the coach always speaks badly about you, when he keeps on putting you down, then it is tough.”

The comments were made as a response to van Gaal accusing Ribery of not putting enough effort after he made his comeback from an ankle injury. "I need his help. I have got to be able to talk with him and have fun with him. If I cannot do that, then it cannot work on the pitch either.”

He added, "However, I do get the feeling that he likes me. I would just like to have more contact with him and that there would be a bit more respect between us."

#3 Luca Toni: \"Van Gaal simply didn\'t want to work with me. He treats players like interchangeable objects.\"

Verona striker Luca Toni has previously played under Louis van Gaal after the Dutch took over the side in 2009, and according to Toni, van Gaal treated players like objects.

"Van Gaal simply didn't want to work with me, he treats players like interchangeable objects," said Toni. "The coach wanted to make clear to us that he can drop any player, it was all the same to him because, as he said, he had the balls. He demonstrated this literally [by dropping his trousers]. I have never experienced anything like it, it was totally crazy. Luckily I didn't see a lot, because I wasn't in the front row."

Toni, who had joined the Bavarians back in 2007, was the club’s top scorer in his first season, but failed to cement his spot in the first team, starting only four Bundesliga matches under van Gaal before moving to Roma on loan.

#4 Lucio: \"Van Gaal hurt me more than anyone else in football.\"

Brazilian defender Lucio is one of the many players who couldn’t see eye-to-eye with Louis van Gaal as their manager, and blames the Dutch for forcing him out of Bayern Munich in 2009.

Lucio, who had played on more than 100 occasions for the Bavarians was unhappy with the way he was treated by van Gaal, “It's a known fact that every trainer has his own ideas and methods. However, Van Gaal simply treated me disrespectfully. I deserved better than this.”

“Van Gaal hurt me more than anyone else in football. He didn't even speak with me before making it clear that I was no longer needed. That's really disappointing. I had a beautiful time at Bayern and we won a lot of trophies. Nevertheless, it's just not right how things went. I won the Confederations Cup twice, I've been a World Champion with Brazil and I was crowned best defender of the Bundesliga. I'm not a youngster who needs to prove his worth to a new coach.”

Since van Gaal didn’t have a spot for Lucio in the first team, moving to Inter Milan and helping them win the 2010 Champions League against his former club Bayern Munich.

#5 Giovanni: \"Van Gaal is the Hitler of the Brazilian players, is arrogant, proud and has a problem.\"

Retired Brazil International Giovanni was part of Barcelona for three seasons, and had worked under Louis van Gaal then. His time at Barcelona was met with constant conflict with van Gaal whom he described as a ‘Hitler for the Brazilian players.’

"van Gaal is the Hitler of the Brazilian players,” said Giovanni. “He is arrogant, proud and has a problem. My life with him was horrible, the Brazilians did not want him, he put me down and also fought with Rivaldo and Sonny Anderson.

“He always gave us the excuse that we were not training well. I know that he must have some trauma, he has no idea of football, does not know anything, in the time I was with him he always did the same training, his type is sick, he's crazy."

He also spoke of one instance where the manager had asked him to fly to Tenerife, and then told him that he will not be playing. "He pissed me off a lot. Look, I'm a quiet type, if I'm not slapped in the face,” Giovanni added. “I took a three or four hour flight from Barcelona, for him to say he didn't need me. So I could have stayed at home with my family. Why did he bring me? I told him not to do that to me and never let it happen again."

A starter before van Gaal’s arrival, Giovanni soon lost his spot alongside Sonny Anderson during his third year at the club, eventually leaving the Catalan club for Greek club Olympiacos in 1999.

#6 Rivaldo: \" I don\'t like Van Gaal, and I am sure that he doesn\'t like me, either.

Van Gaal was the manager who brought Rivaldo to FC Barcelona in 1997 and after two magical seasons, the Dutchman and the Brazilian had a fall-out. The Dutchman left the Camp Nou for an international stint with the Netherlands in 2000, but returned to the club just two years later, and his first order of business was to get rid of Rivaldo, and replace him with Riquelme.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Rivaldo was one of the few members of the Barcelona squad who were unwilling to follow van Gaal’s lead. He threw a tantrum when the manager insisted on him playing on the left-wing, arguing that he wanted to play in the centre.

He didn’t seem to have any kind words for his ex-boss, who sold him to Milan on a free despite him having a year left on his contract.

“Van Gaal is the main cause of my departure. I don't like van Gaal, and I am sure that he doesn't like me, either,” said Rivaldo.

Van Gaal cited the player’s lack of commitment as the reason he was released, and mocked the 2002 World Cup Winner by saying:

“He (Rivaldo) was only interested in making more money and playing less. He was chosen as the best player in 1999, but he has not handled himself well since then and has not behaved like a footballer should. He had illusions about Barca and was requesting to take holidays when important Champions League games were approaching.

“He then hides back home in Brazil. He plays for Brazil like we needed him to at Barcelona, and he has proved this in the World Cup finals, showing he reserved himself for Japan.”

Rivaldo had a cheeky response for Van Gaal's statements, and when asked about his former boss he said:

"He is jealous I won a World Cup he couldn't even qualify for."

#7 Victor Valdes

Victor Valdes previously worked with the Louis van Gaal during the Dutchman’s second tenure at Barcelona, although the goalkeeper only found first-team opportunities after his departure in 2003. After 12 highly successful years at the club, he picked up a serious knee injury that almost ended his career, and was later given an opportunity by Louis Van Gaal to resurrect his career.

The Spanish international was largely viewed as a backup to the impressive David De Gea, and made only two appearances - a substitute appearance against Arsenal, and a start in United's final game of the season against Hull City.

The 33-year old was a surprise exclusion from the United’s pre-season squad and will be sold in the transfer window, after Louis Van Gaal claimed that he “refused to play” in the reserves.

“He (Valdes) doesn't follow my philosophy. There is no place for someone like that. Last year, he refused to play in the second team and there are other aspects you need as a keeper at United.”

"When you are not willing to follow those principles, there is only one way and that is out. It is a big disappointment. It is a pity because we have given him the opportunity to rehabilitate, gave him a contract and then he is fit to play.”

He added: "I played him at Hull because I wanted to help. I am always a very social human being."

Valdes tweeted a mysterious reply to Van Gaal's comments, which contained a picture of the three U-21 games he played in, and his U-21 team-mates.