More than a year and a half after Argentina’s victory over France in the World Cup final, discussions and controversies continue to emerge. Louis van Gaal, who was the coach of the Netherlands during the tournament, has broken his silence, claiming his team was robbed during their elimination match.
In an interview with Fox Sports, the experienced coach discussed the contentious quarter-final match filled with disputes and altercations, which ended in a penalty shootout victory for Lionel Scaloni’s side after a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes of regulation play.
Van Gaal accused the match referee, Spain’s Mateu Lahoz, of bias, asserting that Argentina was awarded an undeserved penalty and that Leandro Paredes should have been sent off for striking the Dutch bench with the ball.
“The referee robbed us against Argentina. The facts are there. I can show you the videos. Do you think it’s normal for an Argentine player to strike the ball at our bench without receiving a red card? And then there was the penalty we conceded,” Van Gaal explained.
Virgil Van Dijk of Netherlands protests to Leandro Paredes of Argentina after kicking the ball toward Netherlands bench during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match. Julian Finney/Getty Images
It should be noted that prior to this match, the Dutch coach opened the controversy, as he criticized Lionel Messi’s level in the tournament, and explained that unlike what happened in 2014, this time they would be able to contain him. After scoring his team’s second goal, the Argentine captain dedicated the celebration to him.
Louis Van Gaal’s healt
Following the World Cup in Qatar, Van Gaal stepped away from coaching to battle prostate cancer. In the same interview with Fox Sports, he discussed his health situation with humor, stating that he feels well.
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“My health? I’m doing fine. After three years of radiotherapy, kidney infections, and prostate surgery, I can finally manage it. I can urinate naturally again, which is important. But I can’t make love anymore, that’s a problem,” Van Gaal joked.
He also touched on his future in coaching, revealing that Bayern Munich approached him for the head coach position for the upcoming season, but he turned down the offer: “Bayern Munich asked me to be their coach, I was surprised,” he said.
