Louis van Gaal may be able to return to football in the short term. The newspapaer is able to report that Paul Gheysens, the chairman of the Belgian Royal Antwerp, has the name of the 69-year-old retired trainer in mind. However, it does not seem likely that Van Gaal will start working in Antwerp, as he announced his retirement in 2019.
It is currently unsettled at Antwerp, the current number two of the Jupiler Pro League. The Gazet van Antwerp last weekend sketched an extremely negative image about the functioning of team manager Frédéric Leidgens, who was brought in by the current sports director Luciano D’Onofrio four years ago. Antwerp said goodbye to Leidgens a few days later, without knowing D’Onofrio in it. This is considered a ‘bad sign’ by Belgian media.
D’Onofrio has an expiring contract at Antwerp and it currently seems that he will not be renewing that contract, as he was also not present at the away match against Mouscron last Monday, for example. If D’Onofrio, who has been working at Antwerp as sports director and vice-chairman since 2017, does indeed leave, chairman Gheysens hopes to tempt Van Gaal to return to De Bosuil. It then seems to be the position of sports director, as the name of trainer Frank Vercauteren is not mentioned further. However, the current trainer of Antwerp is in possession of an expiring contract.
Van Gaal played for Antwerp between 1973 and 1977. The Great Old last summer, Van Gaal struck a talk show, although he had to postpone his performance in it due to the negative travel advice for the province of Antwerp. Van Gaal’s last position in football dates back to 2016, when he left Manchester United. The former coach of Ajax, Barcelona, the Dutch, AZ and Bayern Munich has since been regularly associated with a new job, but for the time being adhered to the statement that he is retired.
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