Louis Van Gaal once fined Marcos Rojo £300k for not renewing his passport

March 29, 2023 Sports 4 Views

Louis van Gaal is notoriously a strict taskmaster, keeping his players in check with his precise methods both on and off the pitch – and nowhere is this more evident than during his time at Manchester United.

Marcos Rojo spent seven years at Old Trafford, Van Gaal signing the defender from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2014. At the end of his first season as a Manchester United player, Rojo headed to Chile to play in the 2015 Copa America with Argentina.

Not that Rojo could foresee what would happen, but reaching the final would ultimately provide him with a hefty fine from his Manchester United manager.

“The national team needed my papers so I could go to the 2015 Copa America,” Rojo told FourFourTwo.

“We reached the final, I came home, and United said I had to report to the United States for pre-season. It took too long with my passport and my visa, and I couldn’t go. It was a terrible fine: £300,000. Van Gaal was so angry!”

Rojo couldn’t even lift his spirits with the memory of winning the South American tournament either, because Chile beat them 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the 120-minute game. While he can see the funny side of it now, the 33-year-old definitely didn’t enjoy the huge fine at the time.

“I laugh now, but it hurt then. It’s scary if you don’t know him. He seems serious, but when you’re with him, he’s a caring guy – strict, but fair if you’re respectful and do what he demands. I’m very grateful to him.”

Eventually, issues with his passport and visa didn’t prove too costly, as Manchester United went on to win the 2016 FA Cup final, Van Gaal’s last game in charge of the club.

Rojo stayed for another five years after that, but injury problems under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer limited his time on the pitch. He played just one game on loan at Estudiantes in his home country in the 2019/20 season as a result, before he moved to Boca Juniors permanently in February 2021.