Ryan Giggs claims Louis van Gaal punched him in first meeting at Man Utd and reveals manager was ‘dominating’
RYAN GIGGS claims Louis van Gaal punched him in the stomach the first time they met.
Giggs served as the Dutchman’s assistant for two years at Manchester United.
The pair brought an FA Cup to Old Trafford, as well as a host of star-studded names including Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.
However, Van Gaal’s time at United was blighted by criticism over his playing style, as well as his business in the transfer market.
And the tactician was sacked in 2016 after a fifth-place Premier League finish despite beating Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
MAN UTD NEWS LIVE: Click here for the latest United news
Giggs has now opened up about his time serving under Van Gaal, as well as his own United exit after Jose Mourinho took charge.
Wales boss Giggs told Jamie Carragher’s Greatest Game podcast: “He was different. He was very dominating.
“The first time I met him he punched me in the stomach.
“I’ve gone to meet him, we’ve got a list of players that I think were good and the ones that were not so good.
“I’ve gone to meet him a hotel, he’s opened the door, looked me up and down and gone ‘you are in good shape!’ then he punched me in the stomach.
“It was hard as well and I didn’t know what to do. You could have given something back but that’s me out of a job.
Most read in Football
“But that’s what he was like. He was very dominating and would be right up in your face.
“He would be a nightmare now with social distancing. He would be right up in your face, looking down on you and very direct.
“He looked after his staff and players and he was a really good person but just very quirky.
“[When Van Gaal went] there was no conversation with Jose. It was a hard two years and I got offered a job with the younger teams.
“I just felt it was the right time to leave. It was sad but a bit of a relief, I felt a bit lost, like ‘what do i do now?’
“It was a difficult sort of 18 months and I had no idea what I wanted to do.”