Bayern Munich and Germany legend Philipp Lahm has weighed in surrounding Die Mannschaft’s hunt for its next schoolmaster, backing former Bayern boss Louis van Gaal to be the right man to take the reigns as Bundestrainer.
The iconic German defender, who spent two seasons under Van Gaal at Bayern while winning three major honors during the 2009-10 season as well as reaching the finals of the Champions League, feels he would be the right man to bring calmness to turbulent waters.
In quotes provided by BILD, Lahm suggests Van Gaal’s ability to instill discipline would be vital for Germany to find its footing amid serious questions surrounding the team in the wake of Hansi Flick’s forced departure.
“As a coach, Louis van Gaal stands for discipline, order, and structure in the way his teams play. He always conveys this through a very clear speech. At FC Bayern he was the right man who shaped the club at the right time with his philosophy. He has a strong personality with a lot of experience, which he has gained in top international football as a club and national team coach”
Van Gaal’s managerial CV spans over thirty years after a credible playing career came to an end, with the Amsterdam-born headmaster having patroled the touchlines with Ajax, Barcelona (two times), the Netherlands (three times), AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United while banking two major honors along the way, including Ajax’s famous Champions League win over AC Milan in 1994-95.
But despite his gravitas, it is unlikely that the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) will turn to a Dutchman given the reality that the national team has never been managed by a non-German.
And with Julian Nagelsmann rumored to be the leading candidate for the position after the former Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim managerial prodigy remained out of a job of his own accord after turning down multiple projects in recent months, a final international swansong for van Gaal at the Germany helm seems unlikely.
