Taking a break

Former Manchester United and Netherlands football manager Louis van Gaal has dismissed a report in Dutch media that he has retired from coaching and said he will make a decision about his future at the end of a sabbatical year. The 65-year-old, who has been out of work since being sacked by United last May, told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser yesterday that he had rejected an offer to coach struggling Spanish club Valencia last month. ‘‘I’ve not retired,’’ he told Cadena Ser. ‘‘I’m on a sabbatical year and then I’ll decide if I do or not. There’s a big possibility of me retiring but it’s not definitive.’’