Angel Di Maria has opened up on his difficult time at Manchester United, accusing former manager Louis van Gaal of focusing only on the negative aspects of his game during his short stay at Old Trafford.
The Argentine winger joined United from Real Madrid in 2014 for a then-British record fee of £59.7 million, signing a five-year contract after helping Argentina reach the World Cup final earlier that year.
Although he made a strong start in England, Di Maria’s relationship with Van Gaal quickly deteriorated, and the forward eventually left the club after just one season to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Di Maria opens up on Van Gaal clash
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the World Cup winner admitted that things initially went smoothly before tensions emerged with the Dutch coach.
“Things started really well,” Di Maria said.
“Everything was flowing. Then I started to have issues with Van Gaal and from there everything fell apart.”
The 37-year-old claimed Van Gaal repeatedly criticised his performances without recognising his strengths.
“He never showed me what I was doing well, just the negatives, over and over. Eventually I got fed up,” he explained.
Di Maria also revealed that personal issues away from football worsened his experience in England, including an attempted burglary at his home while his family was inside.
“When all of that happens; when you are not playing, when things aren’t going well for you, when you have problems inside the club, it ends up affecting you a lot,” he said.
“It made me hate being there.”
No regrets over Old Trafford move
Despite the difficult spell, Di Maria insisted he does not regret joining Manchester United.
“It was a decision I wanted to make,” he added.
“I wanted to go to United. The football, arriving at the stadiums, the atmosphere, the love from the fans, I don’t regret any of it.”
Di Maria eventually completed a move to PSG in 2015 after refusing to join United’s pre-season tour of the United States.
