Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal would be the “ideal man” to help Ajax after the Dutch side’s troubling start to the season.
That is according to ex-Ajax star Rafael van der Vaart, who claimed he “would not be surprised” if his former club reached out to Van Gaal “within the next few days.”
Van Gaal has been out of football management after he resigned from his post as Netherlands manager following his country’s 2022 World Cup exit in Qatar.
The 72-year-old Dutchman, who was in his third stint in charge of the Netherlands, watched his side suffer defeat to eventual champions Argentina in the quarter-finals.
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Ajax in serious trouble – the backstory
Van Gaal started his managerial career at Ajax and led them to three consecutive Eredivisie titles, as well as a Champions League, a UEFA Cup and a Dutch Cup.
However, Ajax are far from enjoying the same success that they had under Van Gaal right now, with the Dutch outfit languishing in 14th place in the Dutch league table.
Ajax have only managed to secure five points from their opening four Eredivisie matches and are a whopping 10 points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Sven Mislintat was also dismissed as director of football at Ajax with “immediate effect,” with the “lack of broad support within the organisation” cited as the reason.
Ajax’s troubles only worsened on Sunday after their league match with Feyenoord was abandoned due to flares being thrown onto the pitch at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
The KNVB (Dutch FA) confirmed that the fixture would resume on Wednesday behind closed doors, with Feyenoord leading Ajax 3-0 when the match was stopped after 56 minutes.
Van Gaal to the rescue?
Van der Vaart claimed that Van Gaal, who led United to an FA Cup trophy before he was sacked, “really wants the best for Ajax” and could be open to a return.
“Louis is, of course, the ideal man for Ajax. His hands are itchy,” he said.
“This club needs clarity. If anyone likes clarity, it’s Louis.
“I would not be surprised if within the next few days they seriously consider reaching out to him. You could give him that, because he really wants the best for Ajax.”
Van Gaal revealed in 2022 that he has been battling prostate cancer and admitted he has an “aggressive form” which had to be “irradiated 25 times.”
The former United manager appeared to rule out further work in club football, firmly shutting down the idea of a sensational managerial return at Ajax.
“My health comes first,” Van Gaal told Dutch outlet NOS.
“I don’t like being a coach at a club anymore.”
When asked about the prospect of managing another national team, he said: “But that depends on many factors.”
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