Manchester United on Monday confirmed the sacking of manager Louis van Gaal, as the club terminated his three-year contract after just two seasons. This comes two days after the Dutchman helped United secure their 12th FA Cup title, which was the first piece of silverware the club had won in three years since the retirement of previous manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Van Gaal had faced a torrid last six months as manager, with the 20-time English champions failing to secure Champions League qualification by ending the season in fifth place in the league table. Reports of his sacking had first emerged minutes after the FA Cup win, with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho tipped to take over. Manchester United said in a statement that a decision on Van Gaal's successor "will be announced soon".

Van Gaal said in a statement, "I am very disappointed to be unable to complete our intended three-year plan. I believe that the foundations are firmly in place to enable the club to move forward and achieve even greater success."