Louis van Gaal ready to lead Netherlands at World Cup after successful cancer treatment

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has said his prostate cancer treatment has been successful and he will be fit enough to lead the team at the Qatar World Cup later this year.

Van Gaal revealed earlier this month that he has been undergoing treatment and chemotherapy since being diagnosed in 2020. The former Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United coach said he had kept the diagnosis a secret from his players and had at times left the national team at night to go to the hospital.

Speaking to the ANP press agency, the 70-year-old Dutchman has said that the treatment and surgery have been a success.

"I had 25 sessions of chemotherapy. Then I had to wait five or six months to see if that had worked. It has," he said.

Van Gaal is in his third stint as Netherlands manager, first leading the team between 2000-2002 and again in 2012-2014, when they finished third at the World Cup in Brazil.

He then returned to the Dutch national team after the resignation of Frank de Boer in the aftermath of the country's last-16 exit from Euro 2020.

The Netherlands were placed in Group A with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal in the draw for the 2022 World Cup, and will face the African champions in their opening game on November 21, followed by Ecuador on November 25, before closing out the group against hosts Qatar four days later.

After the World Cup, Van Gaal will be replaced by Ronald Koeman, who will return for his second spell in charge having previously left the position to take up his "dream" job at Barcelona last summer. However, Koeman's time at the Camp Nou quickly turned sour and he was sacked after just 10 weeks.