In his autobiography, Van Gaal recalls: "When I lost Fernanda, it was then that I stopped believing in God and stopped being a Catholic.
Encwadini yakhe yokuphila, uVan Gaal uyakhumbula: "Ngesikhathi ngilahlekelwa uFernanda, ngalesosikhathi ngase ngiyeke ukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu futhi ngayeka ukuba ngumKatolika.