It was not even two years ago that Louis van Gaal was being hailed as a genius. In the crucible of a World Cup quarterfinal, van Gaal, then coaching the Netherlands, substituted his starting goalkeeper in the final minutes of extra time and then — with a grin on his face — watched the backup make two critical saves in the subsequent penalty-kick shootout as his team advanced to a semifinal against Argentina.
Never shy — van Gaal once declared, “Congratulations on signing the best coach in the world” after he was hired by the Dutch club Ajax — he reveled in the global acclaim he received in Brazil, showing his playful side (and his ego) in a series of entertaining interviews.