The Biography

Louis van Gaal

The first definitive insider biography of the new Manchester United manager

Explosive… Lifts the lid on the Dutchman they call the Iron Tulip

Meticulously studied… Offers more insight into his fellow countryman’s thinking

Bulges with fascinating van Gaal insight. While reading, you can’t help but once again be drawn to the man

Dutch football commentator Maarten Meijer has written books on Louis Van Gaal, Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat. He has degrees in science and philosophy and a doctorate in Russian literature. Since 2000 he has been based in Korea with his wife and four children, where he teaches philosophy.

So who is Louis van Gaal? An inflexible ex-PE teacher who only knows how to act like a dictator or a footballing visionary that has made him one of the greatest ever European managers? 
 
 Wherever he has gone, Van Gaal has been accused of being a domineering disciplinarian and a control freak. He is certainly, by his own admission, a man who leaves nothing to chance. A disciple in the 1970s of Rinus Michels’ Total Football philosophy, he is a fascinating contradiction – an ultra-individualist utterly devoted to the collective effort. He believes in the team over the individual, in always having a plan and a team prepared to follow it. Van Gaal led the young Ajax team he moulded to Champions League glory in 1995, went on to win titles across Europe with Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich and served two stints as national coach of Holland. It is a career that has never been short on colour and drama – from fallouts with players to rants at the media wherever he has managed. 
 
Dutch football commentator Maarten Meijer’s has written the definitive biography of van Gaal – both the man and his methods. It offers the best psychological insight so far – from his earliest roots to his greatest triumphs – into the man given the task of returning the glory days to Manchester United. 
 
**New chapter on Louis van Gaal's first season with Manchester United**

Arne Slot

Maarten Meijer

Ten Hag may just be the man to bring the glory days back

Part father figure and part tactical genius, Ten Hag is a perfect fit for United

Time to fasten the seatbelts and enjoy the ride! Welcome Erik

One of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe

'A superb biography' 
The Times 
 
'Meijer's portrait is definitive' 
iNews 
 
'Ten Hag may just be the man to bring the glory days back' 
Daily Star 
 
Who is Erik ten Hag? Calm and cool-headed, he ignores critics, follows his own methods and relentlessly pursues perfection on the pitch. His uncanny ability to analyse and solve problems - the 'process' as Ten Hag calls it - has unfailingly led to breakthrough. There is no magic. There is only intelligence at work, personal devotion to players and near-obsessive attention to detail. 
 
At Ajax, Ten Hag brooked no dissent and moulded his team into a smoothly operating unit of attack. His team enjoyed an astonishing run, winning three league cups in a row and reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in a quarter of a century. Along the way, they produced some of the brightest and most entertaining football seen in Europe for years. And throughout his first season at Manchester United, he has more than made his mark. He's brought a winning spirit to the club and silverware back to the trophy cabinet. 
 
Maarten Meijer's definitive biography follows Erik ten Hag, from his upbringing in the Dutch countryside to his domestic triumphs and European victories. Meijer's book is the ultimate guide to the man with the momentous task of beginning a new era of great and winning football.

Maarten Meijer

Praise for Ten Hag: The Biography

Meijer's portrait is definitive

Erik ten Hag has the Midas touch

Ten Hag's United are unstoppable

Meijer's portrait is definitive

Erik ten Hag has the Midas touch

Ten Hag's United are unstoppable

Meijer's portrait is definitive

Erik ten Hag has the Midas touch

Ten Hag's United are unstoppable

Books by Maarten Meijer

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