Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has labelled the FA Cup venue Wembley Stadium the most prestigious temple of English football. The Dutchman was speaking ahead of the final, where his team face Crystal Palace for the historic trophy.
Van Gaal said: When you win silverware it is always important, for the players because a qualification is not a title. A title is the FA Cup, is a championship, and for players it is very important because they can hold the cup and that is an exciting moment also.
The FA Cup, while it has lost a little of its lustre over recent years, is still a huge honour he added: Especially here in England because the FA Cup is a big title. We are playing in the most prestigious temple of England so everything confirms how important this cup is.
United are looking to end a three-year drought without a trophy at Wembley on Saturday. However, even a win may not be enough to save Van Gaals future after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
The United manager also complimented Crystal Palace ahead of the match, and warned it would not be easy for his side. I think they have a lot of quality, I think they will defend on a very small space. And then with counters (attacks) they have a lot of speed in the attack, so it will be very difficult, he said.
The game is a replay of the 1990 final, which saw Sir Alex Ferguson win his first trophy in charge of United. He would go on to win 13 league titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues during his time in charge.
