Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal reveals he’s been forced to give team talks sat on the TOILET at away grounds

Louis van Gaal was appointed Manchester United manager last summer
Van Gaal guided the Red Devils to fourth place in the Premier League
The 63-year-old boarded budget flight to ‘paradise’ in Portugal on Monday
READ: Manchester United keen to secure Dani Alves on a free transfer

Published:
14:03 GMT, 26 May 2015

|
Updated:
16:55 GMT, 26 May 2015

133

View
comments

Not content with his star turn on the microphone at Manchester United’s end-of-season awards dinner, Louis van Gaal has looked back on his first campaign in English football and revealed that he has given some of his pre-match team talks while sat on the toilet.

The Dutchman has been surprised at how small the dressing-rooms are at some grounds, leaving him with limited options when sitting down to prepare his team.

In an interview with MUTV, Van Gaal was asked to reflect on life in the Premier League and a season in which United finished fourth.

Louis van Gaal (right) has revealed that he’s been forced to give Manchester United team talks on the toilet at away games this season due to a lack of space at certain grounds

United players celebrate in the Liverpool away team dressing room after their 2-1 win at Anfield back in March

Van Gaal is accustomed to the space within the United changing room at Old Trafford (pictured in 2008)

The United boss, whose rousing speech at last week’s dinner ended with a tribute to the female saxophonist, replied: ‘I can say a positive thing and I can say a negative thing. Let’s start with the negative thing. The accommodation for the players to dress themselves, to change into their club shirts, are in most stadiums not so good.

‘And also the place for the manager, a lot of times I am sitting on the toilet. But not on the toilet to make something, but because there is no other place. That was, for me, surprising.

‘But the way football is lived here in the minds of the people is unbelievable, and it is what I expected.

‘I think it’s fantastic to be here in England. They live football, football is living, and living is football. That is not so in Germany. In Spain a little bit more but here it’s unbelievable. It’s fantastic to see.’

And while Van Gaal may be unhappy with the facilities on offer at rival Premier League grounds, the 63-year-old should have no complaints at his ‘paradise’ resort in Portugal.

Van Gaal (centre) was flying with budget airline Ryanair on Monday evening ahead of a holiday to Portugal

The 63-year-old was was helped to the Ryanair check-in desk by his driver (left) ahead of the flight

Van Gaal was preparing to put the stresses of a first Premier League campaign in charge of United behind him on Monday as he boarded a flight abroad.

The Dutch boss signed a lucrative three-year contract with United last year, but the big-money deal didn’t stop him from flying with budget airline Ryanair from Manchester airport.

Van Gaal will take some time off in the Algarve, where he and his wide Truus have a holiday home, before turning his attention to the 2015-16 Premier League season.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Van Gaal said recently: ‘All the players have to fly out to international duties but I will go on holidays and I’m willing to go to my paradise in Portugal.’