Former Dutch Bonds coach Louis van Gaal has received another high royal order and has been made an officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau.
The Dutch minister responsible for sports, Conny Helder, presented the medal to the 71-year-old at a festive evening organized by the Dutch football association KNVB at its headquarters in Zeist in honor of the ex-coach of the Bundesliga club Bayern Munich.
The minister justified the award of the medal as recognition for the special sporting achievements, with which van Gaal represented the kingdom nationally and internationally with an impact on Dutch society. In 1997 van Gaal was made a knight of the Order of Oranje-Nassau.
The KNVB included the three-time bond coach in the exclusive series of its “association knights”. He received the second highest KNVB award for his achievements as Oranje head coach.
Van Gaal looked after Elftal in three different periods (2000/01, 2012 to 2014 and 2021/22). His greatest success with Oranje was third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Under van Gaal, Oranje played 63 times and recorded 40 wins, 19 draws and four defeats.
