Van Gaal's position as Barcelona coach in jeopardy
Louis van Gaal will carry on as Barcelona coach - for the time being at least - despite his team going down 4-2 at home to Valencia amid angry scenes on Saturday.
Louis van Gaal will carry on as Barcelona coach - for the time being at least - despite his team going down 4-2 at home to Valencia amid angry scenes on Saturday.
However, his position is precarious especially as hundreds of fans vented their anger at club officials after the match when they stormed the directors box at the Nou Camp stadium.
Former Dutch national coach van Gaal, in his second stint at Barcelona after a spell in charge between 1997-2000, had a two-hour meeting with club president Joan Gaspart in a locked dressing room after the latest debacle in a dismal season.
Barca went 2-0 down in 26 minutes and then, with the score at 2-1, were unable to score against ten men until a consolation goal a minute before the whistle.
"I don't have any excuses about that performance but I will be leading training on Sunday," said a chastened van Gaal in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The defeat, Barca's seventh of the season out of 18 games, sees the Catalan giants stay in ninth place but it is likely that they will drop several places after Sunday's matches.
The Barcelona players and officials left the pitch with 80,000 spectators baying for van Gaal's sacking and Gaspart's resignation, similar to the scenes at the Nou Camp before Christmas when Barcelona went six league games without winning and crashed out of the Spanish Cup to a third division side.
Several hundred spectators on Saturday tried to invade the Nou Camp directors' box and glass windows were broken in the process.
Directors and their guests were forced to flee in various directions as angry supporters also blocked the normal exit routes and doors.
Several journalists were also assaulted, although initial reports suggested that there were no serious injuries.
"It's regretable that many supporters can't keep their emotions under control," commented van Gaal.
The behaviour of Barcelona fans is still under scrutiny after the derby match against Real Madrid in December, when Real players were pelted with various objects ranging from a pig's head to whisky bottles.
The incidents are still under investigation at the Spanish federation and the Nou Camp is expected to be closed for several games.
However, van Gaal still has the backing of his players.
"The squad completely supports the coach and we will fight to the death for him," said club captain Carles Puyol after the game.