My career was destroyed! Van Gaal blames Manchester City scandal for his United sacking

Ten years after his controversial departure from Manchester United, Louis van Gaal has reopened one of the most painful chapters of his coaching career. The legendary Dutch manager believes Manchester City's financial misconduct may have played a decisive role in his dismissal from Old Trafford.

Details: According to The New York Times, Van Gaal believes Manchester City's financial scandal was probably the deciding factor behind his dismissal by Manchester United in 2016. The Dutchman's side finished fifth in the Premier League that season, missing Champions League qualification to their city rivals solely on goal difference. Both Manchester clubs collected 66 points, but City's superior scoring record secured fourth place. Van Gaal believes the financial advantages Manchester City obtained through the conduct examined by the Premier League may have changed the outcome of that campaign and ultimately cost him his position.

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The 2015/16 season remains a particularly bitter memory for Van Gaal. Manchester United finished with 66 points, exactly the same total as Manchester City, but their goal difference of +14 was significantly inferior to City's +30. That difference of 16 goals proved decisive in the race for the final Champions League qualification position. United were forced to settle for fifth place and Europa League football, an outcome regarded as unacceptable for a club with their ambitions and financial resources.

The situation became even more painful just days later. Van Gaal guided Manchester United to victory in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, securing the club's first major trophy since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Jesse Lingard scored the decisive goal in extra time to complete a dramatic 2:1 victory at Wembley. Yet the celebration was overshadowed by reports that José Mourinho was preparing to replace the Dutchman. United officially dismissed Van Gaal two days after the triumph, bringing his two year spell in charge to an abrupt conclusion.

The recent verdict against Manchester City has given Van Gaal a new reason to question the fairness of that season. An independent Premier League commission found serious financial breaches involving artificially inflated commercial revenues and concealed costs during several campaigns, including the period in which the Dutchman managed United. Manchester City deny wrongdoing and have appealed the findings. Although the commission's conclusions have intensified the debate about sporting advantages, they do not automatically establish that United would have finished fourth without the violations.

Van Gaal's remarks could reignite wider discussions about the consequences of financial rule breaches for rival clubs. If the appeal fails, teams that believe they suffered sporting or commercial losses may examine possible compensation claims. Missing out on the Champions League can have enormous financial implications, particularly for a club of Manchester United's stature. Nevertheless, Van Gaal's suggestion remains his personal assessment of what influenced the club's decision to dismiss him, rather than a confirmed explanation from United's former executives.

It's worth noting that Louis van Gaal managed Manchester United between 2014 and 2016, overseeing 103 Premier League matches and recording 54 victories. He led the club to fourth place in his first season before finishing fifth in his second. His final match in charge was the victorious 2016 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, while José Mourinho was appointed as his successor shortly afterwards.

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