FRANKFURT, Germany — Coach Louis van Gaal will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, one year before his contract was due to expire, a German newspaper said Monday.
Van Gaal won the German double in his first season at Bayern and reached the Champions League final, but the club has slumped to fifth in the Bundesliga and has been eliminated from the German Cup.
There was no immediate confirmation of Bild newspaper's report that the 59-year-old Dutchman was on the way out, but his departure would not be unexpected.
Bild newspaper said in its online edition that a meeting between the coach and the club's board Monday produced an agreement to end van Gaal's contract one season early.
Bayern is 19 points behind Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund with nine matches to play and is seven points away from second place that secures a direct slot in the Champions League next season after losing 3-1 at Hannover on Saturday.
That defeat meant Bayern's first three-game losing run in 10 years and seemingly doomed van Gaal's future at the German powerhouse.
The 2012 Champions League final will be held at Bayern's home stadium and the club is eager to be in the competition.
The only competition Bayern can win this season is the Champions League. It leads Inter Milan, which beat Bayern in last season's final, 1-0 after the first leg of their last-16 showdown. The second leg is next week in Munich.