Louis van Gaal has been sacked as manager of Manchester United, the club have confirmed.
Sky sources believe Van Gaal was informed on Sunday night he would no longer be in charge of the club, despite him leading United to the FA Cup on Saturday with a 2-1 final win over Crystal Palace, and the move was confirmed just after 8.30pm on Monday evening.
Van Gaal asked for the news of his departure not to be broken until he had boarded a flight for Portugal, where he has a house, and executive vice chairman Ed Woodward agreed to the request after delivering the news at the Dutchman’s Manchester home.
The 64-year-old spent the day at the club’s Carrington training ground – after a day of negotiations over the terms of the compensation package for him and his coaching staff – before leaving just before 5pm.
In a statement, Van Gaal said: “It has been an honour to manage such a magnificent club as Manchester United FC, and in doing so, I have fulfilled a long-held ambition.
“I am immensely proud to have helped United win the FA Cup for the 12th time in the club’s history. I have been privileged during my management career to have won 20 trophies but winning the FA Cup, which is steeped in so much history, will always be one of the most special achievements of my career.
“I am very disappointed to be unable to complete our intended three-year plan. I believe that the foundations are firmly in place to enable the club to move forward and achieve even greater success.
Woodward said: “I would like to thank Louis and his staff for their excellent work in the past two years culminating in winning a record-equalling 12th FA Cup for the club (and securing him a title in four different countries).
