Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has backed the Red Devils to emulate his Ajax team and win the Champions League.
The Red Devils are currently leading their Champions League playoff tie against Club Brugge by a 3-1 scoreline and are seeking to see off their opponents in Belgium later tonight to book their passage into the group stage of the competition.
While they are yet to make it to the proper competition, Van Gaal is already thinking about going all the way in it with Manchester United this season.
The Dutchman won the Champions League with a youthful Ajax team in 1995 and feels his Manchester United side have the same mix of youth and experience which could go on to win the competition.
“They were still younger at that time as we won the final with 18 and 19-year-olds”, Van Gaal said in a press conference.
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“We have players like Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger and at that time it was Frank Rijkaard and Danny Blind who were above the 30-year mark.
“I believe in the mix. Yes, I believe we can win the Champions League and I believe more in the mix of ages than players only from 27 to 34.”
Manchester United have won the Champions League three times and their last triumph came in the 2007/08 season, where they defeated Chelsea on penalties in Moscow to lift the trophy.
Van Gaal’s triumph with Ajax is his only success in the competition and he came close to winning it again, but his Bayern Munich side suffered a defeat at the hands of Inter Milan in the final in 2010.
