Bastian Schweinsteiger has claimed the controversial decision to sack Louis van Gaal set Manchester United back “years”.
The Dutchman was in charge of the Red Devils for two seasons between 2015 and 2017. He was sacked just days after winning the FA Cup against Crystal Palace.
Van Gaal was eventually replaced by Jose Mourinho, while Man United have gone through three further managers since - including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and now Erik ten Hag. Schweinsteiger, signed by Van Gaal ahead of his first season at Old Trafford, has criticised the decision to replace him, and suggested it halted the club’s progress.
Speaking to FourFourTwo about his time at Old Trafford, the German said: “I could feel the size of Manchester United, even if you cannot compare it with Munich. The medical department in Munich was fantastic: they had a doctor who was also the doctor for the national team.
“But playing at Old Trafford was amazing, as was playing with people like Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young – I liked to sit with them, they were fun to talk to.
“I think Louis van Gaal wanted to change more at the club, and with a bit more trust, he would have done that earlier. When you look back, I think Manchester United lost many years because of that.”
Schweinsteiger made 31 appearances under Van Gaal during their only season together at Old Trafford. He scored one goal in that time - an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with eventual champions Leicester.
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The German has claimed that had he stayed fit during that campaign, the Red Devils could have won the Premier League under Van Gaal. He added: “Unfortunately I got injured in a period when we were pretty much first in the league, together with Leicester. That was a huge chance to win the Premier League. But until January we did very well.”
Schweinsteiger twice played under Van Gaal during his playing career. The 2014 World Cup winner was a near ever-present under the Dutchman during his successful stint with Bayern Munich.
The pair won the Bundesliga and the German Cup, while Bayern also reached the 2010 Champions League final under Van Gaal. Schweinsteiger was also full of praise for his time at the Allianz Arena. He said: “I learned a lot about tactics and discipline – we still say in Munich he was the one who started to build the fundamental basics of football at Bayern Munich, he changed things with his way of playing.”
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