The details of the World Cup draw 2:29
(Reuters) --
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said on Sunday that he is battling prostate cancer.
On the Dutch television program Humberto, the 70-year-old former Manchester United and Barcelona manager revealed his diagnosis, but stated that he intends to continue in his position.
"In every period of my time as national coach I have had to go out at night to go to the hospital without the players knowing until now. While I thought I was healthy. But I am not," he said.
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"You don't die of prostate cancer, at least not in 90 percent of cases. It's usually other underlying diseases that kill you. But I had a pretty aggressive form, they treated me 25 times. So you have to do a lot of management to go through life," he said.
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"I had preferential treatment at the hospital. They let me in through the back door when I went to an appointment and immediately moved me to another room. They've treated me wonderfully."
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In his third spell as Netherlands coach, Van Gaal has guided his country to the World Cup in Qatar, where they will face hosts Senegal and Ecuador in this year's group stage.
His coaching career spans nearly four decades.
Van Gaal has won league titles with Barcelona, Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich and AZ Alkmaar.
He spent two seasons at Manchester United, leading the club to an FA Cup triumph in 2016 before being sacked days later.
louis van gaal
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