The entire world of football has come together to offer support and courage to former Manchester United manager and current Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal, who has revealed that he is battling Prostate cancer.
Van Gaal, 70, on a television show in the Netherlands called Humberto on Sunday evening while promoting a new documentary about his life made this revelation.
Van Gaal said he had not made his players aware of his condition.
“They don’t know. They see a blush on my cheeks and think, ‘what a healthy (person) that is’. That is of course not the case,” he said of his players.
He added: “I’ve been through a lot with illnesses, including with my own wife. So that’s just part of life.
“(I) as a human being have probably become richer because of all those experiences. I thought that should also be in the film.”
“I think you don’t tell people you work with like that because it might influence their choices, their decisiveness, so I thought they shouldn’t know,’ he said. “You don’t die from prostate cancer, at least not in 90 per cent of the cases”.
“It is usually other underlying diseases that kill you. But I had a pretty aggressive form, got irradiated 25 times. Then you have a lot of management to do in order to get through life.”
His former team Manchester United sends their best wishes and support to their former manager.
Everybody at Manchester United is fully behind our former manager, Louis van Gaal, in his battle against cancer.
Sending you strength and courage, Louis ❤️ pic.twitter.com/axcB7mV5To
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 3, 2022
Van Gaal took over Netherlands team after a disappointing Euro 2020 campaign where the Dutch exited in the last-16 with Frank de Boer at the time, and now he is due to lead his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.
And before he moved to the Netherlands, Van Gaal was Manchester United boss between 2014 and 2016.
He had previously won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich.
Barcelona in Our thoughts and prayers go out to former Barça manager Louis van Gaal, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Stay strong, Louis, and get well soon. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/uE5SzstOHR