Van Gaal blames Manchester City for his 2016 sacking

Louis Van Gaal has directly pointed to Manchester City as responsible for his sacking from Manchester United in 2016, in an interview with The Athletic. The Dutch manager believes the Citizens’ financial breaches distorted the European qualification race that season, to the detriment of the Red Devils.

At the end of the 2015-2016 season, Manchester United finished fifth in the Premier League, behind Manchester City on goal difference, missing out on the Champions League. This result hastened Van Gaal’s departure, despite winning the FA Cup just days earlier. Ten years on from the events, the former Netherlands manager has not moved past this episode.

“For me, at the time, failing to secure Champions League qualification in 2016 was probably the decisive factor in my sacking from Manchester United, with all the consequences and suffering that entailed,” he said. Before adding, with clear-eyed realism: “I cannot turn back time.”

These accusations come as Manchester City faces a particularly turbulent period. The club is currently being tried for over 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, a process that could result in severe sanctions, including a massive points deduction. Even if titles were to be reallocated, Van Gaal would not recover the job he lost nearly a decade ago.

The former manager is nevertheless calling for heavy sanctions against the Manchester club. His comments add to mounting pressure surrounding the City affair, which has mobilised supporters, club officials and English football observers for several weeks.