Can Louis van Gaal take Bayern Munich to where they believe they belong?

The once great Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga title a record twenty-one times, including last season when they did the league and cup double. They have also won six European titles including the top competition on four occasions.

Beckenbauer

The last time they won the premier European tournament was back in 2001. Prior to that was a UEFA Cup triumph in 1996. Before that you have to go back twenty years to the great side of Franz Beckenbauer.

This season saw them employ former player Jurgen Klinsmann in an attempt to turn things around in terms of their European fortunes, but an embarrassing and humiliating 4-0 first-half trouncing at Barcelona brought an end to that plan. After that, Bayern went down 1-0 at home to Schalke in the league and with Champions League qualification looking doubtful, Klinsmann’s short rein came to an end.

Leaders

As often happens, since then things have gone better for the club and they now find themselves level on points with leaders Wolfsburg entering the dying stages of the season.

Now Bayern Munich have appointed ex-Ajax and Barcelona boss Louis van Gaal as their new coach. The question is, can he succeed where others have failed? Great names such as Giovanni Trapattoni, Felix Magath, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Klinsmann have all tried in vain.

The fifty-seven year old Louis van Gaal has just led AZ Alkmaar to the Eridivisie title and will join Bayern on 1st July on a two year contract.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is thrilled to have van Gaal on board,

“We are happy to have gained an experienced and successful coach.”

That experience includes spells as manager of Ajax, Barcelona, Alkmaar and Holland. The success includes a Champions League and UEFA Cup win, two UEFA Super Cups, four Dutch titles and two Spanish titles.

Early

It has to be said that much of that success came relatively early in his managerial career. This season’s Eridivisie title was his first serious success since winning La Liga with Barcelona back in 1999.

Since then, van Gaal came under criticism at Barcelona and quit his job in 2000 to manage the Dutch national team for the build up to the 2002 World Cup. Despite the talent at his disposal, he failed to qualify for the tournament and was replaced. He then returned to Barcelona but stayed for less than half a year.

Resigned

He went back to Ajax as technical director but again resigned within a year after internal conflict at the club. He then took over at AZ Alkmaar where he led them to a third placed finish in his first season but threatened to leave the club after a disappointing second season. Some of the players persuaded him to stay for one more season and they have now gone on to win the league.

After winning nine major titles in the first nine years of his managerial career, the second nine years have been pretty fruitless.

Dutch side Alkmaar have reportedly released their coach without any conditions, with Bayern set to play a friendly match at their home, probably in the summer of 2010.

Magic

So, can Louis van Gaal recapture his magic as a coach and take Bayern Munich back to where they feel they belong? Will he be able to keep the likes of Franck Ribery at the club so that they can have a genuine chance?

The answer to these questions is far from clear, but it does look like a miracle is required of greater proportions than van Gaal has managed in recent years in order for Bayern to get back to their greatness of over thirty years ago.