They may not be the best of friends but Southampton manager Ronald Koeman slammed Manchester United for the treatment of former boss Louis van Gaal.
Koeman said United do not deserve their FA Cup winners' medal after sacking fellow Dutchman Van Gaal in favour of Jose Mourinho following months of speculation.
Van Gaal was shown the door in the aftermath of United's 2-1 extra-time win over Crystal Palace on May 21, with Mourinho eventually appointed on Friday after the club's failure to finish inside the Premier League's top four.
But Koeman believes United lacked class in their handling of Van Gaal, amid reports they were working behind the scenes to secure Mourinho while the former Netherlands coach was still in charge.
"I have watched the process around Louis and Jose Mourinho from a distance," Koeman said in quotes attributed to the Mirror. "For months we were all reading that Mourinho was busy with Manchester United.
"If Louis was not told about getting the sack until after the FA Cup final, then Manchester United as a club don't deserve a medal for the way they treated him.
"If you know a little bit about the business at the highest level in football, then you know that these kind of deals are not done overnight.
"But Louis has been put under tremendous pressure for months. This is why I admire the way he kept his dignity.
"Of course, he had a number of run-ins with the media and there were moments when I thought 'Louis, you could have dealt with that in another way.' But Louis is Louis.
"But looking at the incredible pressure all around him, I think he did a great job winning a big trophy like the FA Cup."
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