adminMANCHESTER – Louis van Gaal revealed he had rejected several opportunities to manage in Russia as he bluntly declared he had never had any interest in working there.
The Manchester United manager’s fellow Dutchmen Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat have both had spells in charge of the Russian national team.
But while some jobs in Russia have been lucrative, Van Gaal said he has been motivated purely by ambition and has worked in the countries where he has dreamed of managing and where he speaks the language.
His United team host CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford on Tuesday and Van Gaal, without divulging when and where, said he could have plied his trade in Russia.
“I can only say yes but I don’t think I can say the names because I don’t think it has to be open for you but I have been offered [a job] a few times,” he said in a news conference.
“But maybe it was at the wrong moment but I have always put aims in my life [first] and I want to be a manager in certain countries.
“That is why I want to be a manager in the Premier League, because of the culture of this country and also the atmosphere around the matches.
That is the same reason I wanted to go to Germany and Spain but Russia was never on the list. I am sorry.
“And of course, I am a coach who communicates a lot with players, with units of teams and with the team so there are a lot of meetings.
“Then I think you have to speak the language. I have learnt German and English at school and Spanish with a course. I am now too old to learn Russian but it is very important to me that you have communicate with players in their own language.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool have offered former Borussia Dortmund coach David Wagner a role to join Jurgen Klopp at Anfield but face competition for his services, sources have told ESPN FC.
Wagner confirmed his departure as Dortmund’s under-23s boss on Monday after four years at the club following his arrival from Hoffenheim in 2011.
Wagner is a highly-rated coach in Germany after the work he has done at Dortmund and new Liverpool boss Klopp, who spent seven years in charge of BVB, is keen to be reunited with him on Merseyside.
The pair enjoy a close working and personal relationship, with Klopp godfather to Wagner’s youngest daughter and Wagner performing best man duties at Klopp’s wedding.
Klopp already has two of his former Dortmund coaches, Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz, working alongside him at Liverpool, and he hopes to bring Wagner to Anfield as he continues reshaping the club’s backroom staff following the exit of Brendan Rodgers and a number of the Northern Irishman’s own team.
However, several Bundesliga sides have also expressed an interest in hiring Wagner and Liverpool could face a battle to lure him away from Germany, with Klopp hoping his close relationship with his former colleague will sway him to move to England.
Online Reporter