“Eu sempre quero ajudar a KNVB, assim como quis fazer no Ajax,” Van Gaal said. The report says he believes the current squad has the quality to compete for major honours, with many players established at strong clubs abroad.
That confidence is tempered by his record with the national team. The report recalls that Van Gaal has overseen the Netherlands in three spells, including a run to the 2014 World Cup semi-finals and the 2022 quarter-finals. His latest comments suggest that any return would depend on the federation making the first move.
Van Gaal also pointed to the penalty shootout defeat in Qatar, where the Netherlands exited in the quarter-finals. “Há quatro anos, na Copa do Mundo do Catar, perdemos nos pênaltis nas quartas de final, e 'eles' não acharam nosso futebol bom o suficiente,” he said, questioning why the same critics might now consider him the right choice.
Still, he left the door ajar. “Embora, comigo, nunca se saiba. Eu me sinto mais em forma do que há quatro anos,” he added, according to the report.
The immediate question is whether the KNVB contacts Van Gaal or commits to another candidate. Until then, his return remains a possibility rather than an appointment-and the next turn in the coaching search will show how seriously the federation views it.