Bayern boss Louis van Gaal and his wife Truus have been together for 15 years. They have had plenty to celebrate together too, in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Alkmaar – and now Munich, after a double-winning first season in Bavaria. In part one of our interview with Truus van Gaal, fcbayern.de asked about a shared taste in wine, her husband’s character, and Bayern's part in them becoming a couple.
Interview: Truus van Gaal.
fcbayern.de: Your husband likes a glass of Spanish red wine. Are you a Rioja fan?
Truus van Gaal: “Yes, we happen to have the same taste and drink a small glass every day. When we were with Barcelona, we met club President Núñez every week for dinner. That’s when we grew to know and love Rioja. Nowadays, we also enjoy Austrian and German wines too: Riesling and some very good red wines. But we’re not fond of French wines.”
fcbayern.de: Everyone at Bayern has come to know Louis van Gaal as a dominant personality. Is that what he’s like at home?
Truus van Gaal: “Yes, he is, or at least he tries to be. But Louis also expects people to stand up to him and not just agree with everything he says.”
fcbayern.de: What do you value about your husband?
Truus van Gaal: “Louis is an honest man. In fact, I don’t know anyone in the world who’s as honest as him. He’s also very emotional and a little naïve, he believes everything he hears. Sometimes I say to him: Hey Louis, do you really believe that? I think it’s typical male versus female. He sometimes asks me: Why are you so suspicious? So I tell him: that’s the way it is, I trust my feelings.”
fcbayern.de: What do you do after Louis gets home from work?
Truus van Gaal: “We like spending time together and often travel. We love life, and enjoy having dinner with family and friends. But we do like an occasional evening at home together. We watch TV or read the papers, and as you’d expect, we spend a lot of time dealing with e-mail from all over the world. I’m a secretary of sorts for Louis, although he has to tell me what to write, as we don’t always think along the same lines.”
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