The game between Argentina and the Netherlands carries some unfinished business between both sides, and Louis Van Gaal did not hold back when it was his turn to aim a scathing dig at one of La Albiceleste's players.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the outspoken Dutch manager referred to one of his former pupils in unflattering terms following the footballer's opinion about his job.
The man LvG slammed in the conference was none other than Angel Di María, who's relationship with Van Gaal ended in sour terms after just one season at Manchester United. Di María referred to Van Gaal as "the worst coach he ever had" while also sharing that the Dutch coach preferred to speak out on what his mistakes had been rather than focusing on his goals and assists.
Today, Van Gaal looked into the circumstances that may have forced Di María to share such thought about him, but while he tried to praise the Argentine, he ended up aiming quite a dig at him.
"Di María is a great player, but he had many private problems at Manchester United. He was mugged, which may have had an effect on his performance that year. He said I've been the worst coach he's had, and I think it was not nice for him to say that, but I can see why he thinks that. Sometimes coaches have to say things that are not what the player wants to hear. Luckily, he is one of the few who thinks I am a bad coach," Van Gaal stated.
The tactician referred to Memphis Depay's stay at Manchester United, and while he hinted that the duo had its share of problems, Van Gaal shared how they have a great relationship and were able to put those problems in the past, unlike Di María.
"Well, Memphis also had to deal with me at Manchester, and now we are able to kiss each other's lips," Van Gaal jokingly commented.
The veteran coach also referred to his somewhat conservative approach for this tournament, which has seen teams following their lead in order to claim positive results.
"Defending together is way easier than going all in to find goals. It seems that we are all about defending now, but that's not true. We apply pressure in different ways, and we have a tactical plan for each game, and we have one in place for the game against Argentina. I have explained it different times and I hope I have made myself clear," Van Gaal added.
This will be the sixth FIFA World Cup match between the Dutch side and Argentina. Both sides have won two games, while the other one concluded in a draw. Keep track of their rendezvous by searching the info in our match page.
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