LOUIS VAN GAAL has emerged as a top contender for the vacant head coach role of Holland’s men’s side following their shock Euros round 16 loss.
The hunt for a new national boss is underway after former gaffer Frank de Boer quit following the team’s disappointing tournament exit.
The Netherlands suffered a surprise 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad claims ex-Man United chief Van Gaal is seen as the most suitable candidate for the job by bigwigs at the Dutch FA.
Should the appointment come to fruition it would see the two-time former Netherlands chief embark on his THIRD stint in charge of the national side.
He was Holland boss from 2000 to 2002, but lost his job when they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Japan.
During his second spell from 2012 to 2014, Van Gaal, 69, led the team – skippered by Robin van Persie – to the semis of the 2014 World Cup.
It is reported Dutch FA officials are looking to fill the post by September with the team due to play three tricky World Cup qualifiers that month.
They face a clash with Norway on September 1 followed by home and away matches against Montenegro and Turkey on the fourth and the seventh.
And only the winner from their group, which also includes Latvia and Gibraltar, is guaranteed a place in the 2022 finals in Qatar.
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Van Gaal, who began his managerial journey in 1986 as an assistant at AZ Alkmaar, has enjoyed mixed fortunes in the dugout in recent years.
The Dutchman, who has won 19 major trophies in four different top divisions in Europe was sacked by United in 2016 after a two-season spell in charge of the club and one FA Cup win.
However Van Gaal is a highly regarded for winning major honours in the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
Silverware wins include four Dutch titles with AZ and Ajax, one Bundesliga crown with Bayern Munich and two La Liga titles with Barcelona.
And the Amsterdam-born boss led Ajax to a Champions League tournament triumph back in 1995.
The Netherlands, who are currently the world’s 16th best team, will be hoping for a reversal of fortunes following their surprise early exit from the Euros.
It is thought the expertise of Van Gaal, who coached the side from 2002 to 2004 and 2012 to 2014, could help the team as they aim to qualify for the World Cup for the fourteenth time.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
