Physical fitness getting more important, says Van Gaal

Physical fitness is becoming more and more important in football, stated Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal during an interview with Xinhua before his departure to Asia.

According to Van Gaal, symbolic for the trend was the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

"Physical fitness is very important because the Champions League final to me was a true fitness test," said the head coach of the Dutch national team to Xinhua.

"I think that's regrettable because footballing strength must predominate. In this final that was less. Although Arjen Robben still scored that winning goal and that was an individual action."

The fact that two German teams reached the final of the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is according to Van Gaal nothing new. In 2010 he also played the Champions League final with Bayern, losing 2-0 to Internazionale.

"I think German teams have always performed well in the Champions League, only they have not won the final in recent years," he declared.

"Under my leadership Bayern unfortunately lost and two years later they qualified for the final again and unfortunately lost again. Now they finally won at their third attempt. So yes, I have perhaps contributed a bit to this development. And Dortmund became champions in the past two years. So they were also on the rise."

"For me it's not so strange," he added. "I have said years ago that Germany and Spain are the best footballing nations. That became a reality. Because Spain was the last winner of the Champions League and now we have the German winners."