Without Louis van Gaal there might have been no 'Special One' after Dutchman gave Jose Mourinho first chance on training pitch

  • Louis van Gaal gave Mourinho first chance to work on the training pitch with players
  • Dutchman liked Mourinho after current Chelsea boss spoke up in defence of former manager Bobby Robson
  • New Manchester United boss sensed Mourinho would be a loyal assistant

Manchester United's players have been getting to know new boss Louis van Gaal and will be getting familiar with his personality and some of his managerial traits.


Here, Sportsmail has exclusive extracts from Maarten Meijer's explosive new book on the Dutchman which lifts the lid on the new man in charge at Old Trafford.

 

He is ‘The Special One’. Jose Mourinho. Winner of seven league titles in four countries. The man who went from being Bobby Robson’s  interpreter at Porto to one of football’s great coaches.

But without Louis van Gaal, who knows if an incredible managerial career that contains two Champions League triumphs would have happened.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jose Mourinho say he is very happy for Louis Van Gaal

Special: Louis van Gaal gave Jose Mourinho his first chance to work on the training pitch at Barcelona

Special: Louis van Gaal gave Jose Mourinho his first chance to work on the training pitch at Barcelona

It was the Dutchman whose faith in Mourinho gave him his first chance to work with star players on the training pitch.

When Van Gaal arrived at Barcelona in 1997 to take over from Robson, Mourinho expected to lose his role as assistant manager.

Van Gaal took all the staff out to introduce himself and during dinner somebody criticised aspects of Robson’s regime. Mourinho, believing he was on his way out anyway, spoke up in passionate defence of his former boss.

It proved fateful, as the Dutchman revealed: ‘I liked this man who had the confidence and the loyalty to support the last coach, even if he thought it might cost him his job.

‘I thought that if he could be so loyal to Mr Robson, he would be loyal to me, too, and that we would work well together.’

It was Van Gaal and not Robson who allowed the young coach to take charge of training sessions and at times speak to the media in his place. Together in three years they won two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey.

‘We lived very close - my home was 15 metres from his - and we worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week,’ said Mourinho.

Close: Van Gaal shares a joke with Mourinho during Bayern's Champions League clash with Madrid in 2010

Close: Van Gaal shares a joke with Mourinho during Bayern's Champions League clash with Madrid in 2010

‘I used to work like a beast, but I was happy to do so. I learned a lot from him. One of the main things was that if you want to get  anywhere, you have to work very hard.

‘He gave me the confidence to coach the team on the pitch. He was very important in my  development.’ Van Gaal, typically, is fully aware of his own  contribution to Mourinho’s career. ‘I sometimes think I was the only guy at the club who believed in Jose,’ he said.

More than 10 years later their paths were to cross again in a Champions League final. Mourinho, as manager of Inter Milan, robbed Bayern Munich boss Van Gaal of another trophy. The pupil had become the master.

 

Adapted from Louis van Gaal by Maarten Meijer, published by Ebury, price £16.99. Copyright 2014 Maarten Meijer. To order a copy for £14.99 (p&p incl) call 0844 472 4157

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