Louis van Gaal blames Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward for his departure from the club in 2016, describing him as “the evil genius” behind his sacking.
The Dutch head coach replaced David Moyes at Old Trafford in 2014 but lasted just two years in the job despite winning the FA Cup in his final game in charge.
After guiding United to fourth place in the Premier League in his first season, Van Gaal saw his side slip down to fifth the following campaign as he failed to convince the club that he could turn their fortunes around.
Jose Mourinho was named as Van Gaal’s successor just days after he was sacked and the Dutchman has stressed that he blames Woodward and not the Portuguese for his departure.
“I blame Ed Woodward, my CEO at Manchester United, much more than Mourinho,” Van Gaal told the Een-tweetje met Yves podcast. “In my view, Woodward is the evil genius.”
Prior to joining United, Van Gaal also held talks with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who clearly wanted to keep his discussions with the coach a secret as he attempted to leave in the boot of a car.