Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has dismissed reports by the media that sacked Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will soon be taking over the managerial role at Old Trafford.
Specifically, the 64-year-old manager said Friday reports in some sections of the British media that the club was in contract negotiations with Mourinho were “nonsense”.
“There has been such nonsense created about me,” said Van Gaal, whose side were due to visit Chelsea in the Premier League later on Sunday.
“I don’t believe there is already a relationship between Jose Mourinho and Manchester United because I have seen what has happened here over the last two months.
“It has been very difficult for me, for my wife, for my kids, for my grandchildren and for my friends to cope with that. But it is the football world these days.”
Van Gaal has had a topsy-turvy season with the club, sitting in fifth place and five points clear of a UCL slot, and was also knocked out of the UCL in the group stage.
However, he remains active in the FA and Capital One cups, although many fans of the club have been calling for his replacement in recent weeks, with many of them calling for the signing of 53-year-old Mourinho.
Mourinho was himself given the boot by Chelsea in December, following a poor run of form and reports of dressing room unrest.
Meanwhile, Mourinho said on Sunday that he could not wait to return to the game, just as he hinted that a move away from England was not an impossibility.
He told GQ: “At this moment I don’t have a job, and I don’t know where football will take me, because in football you never know.
“But for sure for sure for sure, as a family, our home will still be England, our home will be in London.
“But obviously I am ready to move. As a professional, I am ready to move, especially because football in London for me, in terms of clubs, I think it is clear that I have to move.
“To be fully happy I need everything, so I go back to football. I think it’s my natural habitat.
“I have worked since I can remember, and as a manager since 2000. I stopped when I left Chelsea in 2007, for a few months, and now is the second time I stop in 15 or 16 years, so it is not a drama. But for sure, I will be back soon.”