FORMER BAYERN MUNICH skipper Mark van Bommel has revealed he was in tears after the bust-up with Louis van Gaal that eventually saw him leave the Allianz Arena.
Van Bommel developed into a key figure at Bayern after joining the club from Barcelona in 2006, but left the Bavarians for AC Milan somewhat surprisingly in January 2011.
“I was Bayern captain, I was Van Gaal’s captain - as he puts it - but I also protected the dressing room,” Van Bommel told Fox Sports.
“So if he attacked someone who did not deserve that during a team talk, I would open my mouth and protect that player. Louis can deal with a lot of things, but you should not oppose him.
“Things got out of hand in December 2010. I had a difficult and nasty discussion with him. I told him about all the things he could not do and there was some namecalling as well. Normally, Louis is the one doing all the talking, but I was having my say for two or three minutes there and told him everything I wanted to say.
“I then left the room and walked into the physio on my way out, with whom I had a good relationship. I immediately told him it was all over. I was so emotional about it all that I was in tears afterwards.
“I had a 30-minute chat with the physio to discuss what I had told Van Gaal and I knew I had to leave then and there.
“I never shook his hand since.”
Van Bommel spent 18 months at Milan before returning to PSV, where he retired in May 2013.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Cool story bro
Wonder who’ll play him in the film
@Fran Heavey: LvG? Got to be Jon Voight.
First non-German captain of Bayern Munich. Remember him being part of the Barcelona side that beat Arsenal in the CL final.
Too lazy to check but did he not play under him for the Netherlands? Awkward.com
Dressing room snitch kicking a man while he’s down,it always amazes me these stories never appear when the manager is winning
Slow day!!
Two headbangers