The Iron Tulip - The Mediated Persona of Manchester United Manager Louis van Gaal: A Different Kind of Dutchman

Abstract

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal lives in disagreement with his mediated persona, which, however developed by the media, consists for a significant part of one’s self-presentation. The sobriquet of The Iron Tulip covers his mediated persona: he is convinced of himself; peremptory; and he is Dutch. By conducting a media discourse analysis and by contrasting the media representation of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal with that of Dutch identity in terms of football, this thesis endeavours to give an account of how a mediated persona is established.