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Philippe Christanval, who played at Barcelona between 2001 and 2003, has revealed in an interview with SRF what happened on the day that Louis Van Gaal was fired from the Catalan club.

The Dutchman was let go from Camp Nou in January 2003 following a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo.

“He came into the dressing room after hearing the news, started to talk, and all of a sudden began crying like a baby,” said the former France centre-back.

"He was really hurt"

“He was really hurt. It impacted me seeing him cry. He was a hard, cold, person, and here he was destroyed.”

Van Gaal, who was by that stage already one of the most decorated managers in world football, would later go on to win the Eredivisie with AZ, the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and lead the Netherlands to 3rd place at the World Cup.

After spending two seasons at Manchester United between 2014 and 2016, Van Gaal was sacked from Old Trafford in May just a day after winning the FA Cup.