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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Me retire - not so fast, says van Gaal

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MADRID: Louis van Gaal says he is not definitely done with football just yet, after appearing to suggest earlier this week that he was retiring from the game at 65. The Dutchman, who was sacked by Manchester United last year after an uninspiring stint at Old Trafford, had told popular daily tabloid De Telegraaf: “I don’t believe I’ll return to work.” But less than a day later van Gaal rowed back on that, telling Spanish radio overnight Tuesday-Wednesday that nothing was final and his future “depends on offers” at the end of what he has called a sabbatical.


“I am not retiring,” van Gaal, whose decorated coaching career included two spells at Barcelona and with the Dutch national side, told Cadena Ser radio. “I took a sabbatical year and then maybe I will decide whether or not to retire. There is a strong possibility that I will retire, but it’s not final.”


Van Gaal revealed that he had received an offer from La Liga crisis club Valencia. “It was about a month ago, but I said no. Next year, it might have been different. That depends on how I feel.”


Clarifying his comments published in Tuesday’s De Telegraaf, van Gaal — who says he has received dozens of lucrative offers since his United departure last May — added: “I only said that perhaps I was going to retire. But I don’t know, it’s still not the moment to say.


“That’s why I took a sabbatical for a year, and then I would decide. It depends also on what offers I get.”


Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf said on Monday Van Gaal had decided to call time on his coaching career, with the sudden death of his son-in-law influencing his decision. “I’ve not retired,” he told Cadena Ser. “I’m on a sabbatical year and then I’ll decide if I do or not. There’s a big possibility of me retiring but it’s not definitive. In Holland the press write whatever they want. Like in Spain, they pay attention to other things.”  — Agencies


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