Under-fire coach Louis van Gaal will depart Bayern Munich at the end of the season, the club have confirmed.
Coach to leave Bayern at end of season
Under-fire coach Louis van Gaal will depart Bayern Munich at the end of the season, the club have confirmed.
The Dutchman has attracted criticism following Bayern's weekend loss at Hannover, which closely followed a Bundesliga defeat against Borussia Dortmund and a German Cup exit to Schalke.
Poor results have seen the defending champions slip to fifth place in the league heading into the latter stages of the campaign.
And although he will remain in charge for the short-term, Van Gaal's current deal, which is due to expire next summer, will be dissolved 12 months early by the club.
Bayern have cited the reason for his exit as "a difference in opinion about the strategic direction of the club", adding that there were still certain "minimum achievements" to be reached this season.
The club's board met with 59-year-old Van Gaal on Monday morning and they appear to have come to a mutual decision to go their separate ways.
Future
Bayern's statement ends almost 48 hours of speculation regarding Van Gaal's future at the German club.
It was initially thought he would be shown the door on Sunday only for reports to emerge in Germany suggesting the club had made a U-turn due to a lack of suitable replacements.
By staying in the post until the end of the season, Van Gaal will be able to guide the club through the remainder of their UEFA Champions League campaign.
Bayern won the first leg of their last-16 tie with Inter Milan 1-0 and are set to meet the Nerazzurri again at the Allianz Arena on March 15th.
