Louis van Gaal cites Manchester City as 'deciding factor' in United firing in wake of guilty verdict
· Yahoo Sports
Louis van Gaal has voiced his frustration over Manchester City's financial misconduct scandal, with his Manchester United dismissal having come after he narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification — with their cross-city rivals edging them to fourth place.
The Dutchman spent two years at the Old Trafford helm, but a fifth-place finish in 2016 proved to be the final nail in the coffin, as he was relieved of his duties with José Mourinho stepping in as his successor.
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Van Gaal's last match in charge was the FA Cup final, where he secured victory over Crystal Palace, yet just 24 hours later he was fired, due to a disappointing league campaign that saw United collapse from December onwards, finishing outside the top four on goal difference.
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It was City who pipped them to the post, and Van Gaal believes that their league standing was "the deciding factor" in his departure — a grievance that has only intensified following the Etihad club being found guilty of 114 financial violations between 2009 and 2018.
Van Gaal told The Athletic: "For me, at the time, that (missing out on the Champions League in 2016) was probably the deciding factor in my dismissal from Manchester United and all the consequences and suffering this entailed."
City's guilty verdict arrived following years of investigation and has already been appealed by the blue half of Manchester, yet Van Gaal insists that regardless of the outcome "I cannot turn back history now. Not even the English Football Association can (do that)."
Van Gaal watched his United side collect four points from the two fixtures against City during the 2015/16 season — drawing at Old Trafford before securing an emphatic win at the Etihad, with a teenage Marcus Rashford netting the only goal of the match, as per The Mirror.
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Despite Van Gaal's frustration, United have only themselves to blame, with fourth place firmly within reach heading into the final weeks of the campaign. They held their own destiny in their hands, but a defeat at West Ham United in the penultimate fixture handed City the breathing room they required.
Van Gaal departed United having won 54 of his 103 matches, recording a 52 percent win rate. He was the second manager to take the reins at Old Trafford following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, stepping in to replace David Moyes in the wake of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He secured fourth place in his opening season but was unable to replicate that achievement thereafter.