sport news Louis Van Gaal can still cause mischief after hinting at the vacant Belgium role trends now

Louis van Gaal had his eye on the Belgium job back in 2016, with the Dutchman freshly sacked by Manchester United and the Belgians looking for a reset after flattering to deceive in yet another major tournament.

Van Gaal liked the look of the golden generation of talent available and let it be known that his wife Truus was fond of the beachside resort of Knokke, where they are still planning to buy a property.

So when Roberto Martinez, who pipped him to the appointment six years ago, was dismissed on Thursday after a 0-0 draw with Croatia confirmed Belgium’s exit, it was put to the Netherlands boss that he might still be interested.

Van Gaal being Van Gaal, he was unable to resist. Even though it was the eve of the last-16 tie against the US, he encouraged the notion.

‘Belgium is a wonderful country with really friendly people and Knokke is a wonderful beach town,’ smiled the 71-year-old. ‘I am always at liberty to take decisions myself but there are certain countries I won’t move to and my wife Truus won’t move to.

‘The players in their squad are really marvellous and we beat them the last two times but I can’t really judge them. They should have won and then they would have qualified. Football is not only about technique and tactics but also a bit of luck and the referee plays a part.’

Almost as an afterthought, Van Gaal added: ‘No, I am joking. We are here with the Dutch team. We want to become world champions and we have four matches ahead of us. Then we will see what opportunities are ahead of us.