Bayern Munich Statement on Louis van Gaal's Sacking in 2011 Sounds Familiar Now

With Louis van Gaal's future looking more and more unlikely to be with Manchester United by the day, the 64-year-old could be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu.

His rocky status with the Premier League giants is quite similar to the predicament he found himself in with Bayern Munich before being sacked in April 2011.

Despite securing a double with the Bundesliga side in his first year in charge, he was sacked by Bayern with Champions League qualification in doubt, the support of his playing staff questionable and having heaped pressure on his employers. Sound familiar?

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Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said at the time, per the BBC Sport, there was "no alternative" but to part company with Van Gaal, but then-president Uli Hoeness' commentary on the matter was even more damning: "It all started getting messy when he dropped Hans-Jorg Butt and replaced him with Thomas Kraft. That brought insecurity into the defence and we could not hold out for much longer."

Hoeness blamed Van Gaal for unrest among the club's fans because of the Dutchman's opposition to a move for Manuel Neuer, who was then with Schalke.

"The Neuer issue would never have escalated like it did and we would never have had any problems with the fans," said Hoeness.

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"Problems were created which were totally unnecessary and which have ripped the club to pieces. Louis van Gaal should consider what he has done."

He added one comment that is hauntingly pertinent to the position Van Gaal finds himself in at Old Trafford: "Football should be enjoyable, but there has been nothing enjoyable about football at FC Bayern for a while now."

[BBC]