„Barcelona“ legend Xavi revealed that after his first encounter with Louis van Gaal, he thought he was an „idiot“.
However, although he formed a poor opinion after his first few training sessions with the Dutchman, he now respects and praises the current „Manchester United“ manager.
„After the first two days of training with him, I used to think „Who is this idiot?“. The truth is, already after the first week, I realized that he is right and I think Van Gaal will always remain in my heart.
He is a good person and a very good coach. Van Gaal is of a very strong character, but in the Premier League, he seems much calmer to me. He is sincere, methodical, and a true perfectionist. The Dutchman is very demanding, strict, and always aims for maximum goals“ - Xavi spoke about his former coach on ESPN.
During his time working with „Barca“, Van Gaal led the club to two „La Liga“ titles and victories in the „Copa del Rey“ and the UEFA Super Cup.
This season, the team managed by Van Gaal in „Manchester United“ has collected 24 points in the Premier League and occupies the fourth position in the league table. They trail the leading clubs, „Manchester City“ and „Arsenal“, by a two-point difference.
