Former World Cup winner and Champions League final Man of the Match Angel Di Maria named his least favourite manager from his storied career. The Argentine featured for the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus throughout his playing days, winning almost everything there is to win in the game.
Perhaps his finest moment came in 2014 as he spearheaded Real Madrid to their 10th European title – fondly referred to by Madridistas as ‘La Decima’. Despite his brilliant performance in the final, the winger was shipped off to Manchester United for a fee of £59.7 million as the Red Devils looked to bounce back after a difficult first season in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. However, it was at Old Trafford where the 38-year-old came across the worst coach that he ever worked under.
Angel Di Maria names ideal starting 11 of teammates from his career
Angel Di Maria has played with a host of world-class players throughout his career, but Cristiano Ronaldo surprisingly doesn’t make the cut.
Di Maria Labels Louis van Gaal His Worst Manager
There’s no love lost between the pair
In an interview with ESPN Argentina, Di Maria made no bones about the fact that Louis van Gaal is the worst manager he’s played for during his career. The duo spent one season together in Manchester, and despite Di Maria making a hot start to life in England, things quickly fizzled out and his relationship with the Dutchman deteriorated quickly.
“The worst (manager) is Van Gaal, you can be sure of that. In case you had any doubt, I’ll clear that up for you right now.”
While more clarification on the matter wasn’t given, it’s not the most shocking of answers considering Di Maria was flogged within a year of joining the English giants as he made the switch to the French capital in 2015. Van Gaal has previously given his say on the matter, suggesting that the player, who goes down as one of the worst signings in Manchester United history, couldn’t handle the pressure of the Premier League and that he tried to play him in every possible position in the final third:
“Di Maria says it was my problem. I played him in every attacking position. You can check that. He never convinced me in any of those positions. He could not deal with the continuous pressure on the ball in the Premier League. That was his problem.”
Angel Di Maria named as ‘worst Glazers signing’ after ‘disrespecting’ Man Utd
Manchester United have made some poor decisions in the transfer market during the Glazers’ reign, but Angel Di Maria’s arrival stands out
Di Maria Explains What Sparked Tension With Van Gaal
Winger and former teammate Ander Herrera revealed all in documentary
However, Di Maria has since lifted the lid on why exactly him and Van Gaal never clicked at Old Trafford. While making a documentary for Netflix, ‘Angel di Maria: Breaking down the Wall’, the winger said it was the Dutchman’s constant criticism which left him irate.
He said: “We were winning, I was making assists and scoring, but he didn’t mention that. He only ever wanted to talk about the mistakes.
“Identifying and learning from your mistakes is crucial, of course. But given my position as a forward, I’m bound to make mistakes because I’m always trying. My job is to always go for an assist or take a shot on goal.”
Di Maria was not the only player in the dressing room to notice that Van Gaal was constantly focusing on the mistakes either. The Red Devils’ former midfielder, Ander Herrera, also added: “Van Gaal was the type of coach who was very critical when analysing his players’ actions.
“I found it surprising that he considered it unacceptable for Angel to make three or four mistakes per game. It reached a point where things just got out of hand.
“Compared to everyone else on the team, it seemed like the coach was being way stricter with him. Eventually, I think all the criticism ended up undermining Angel’s confidence.”
Di Maria Selects His Favourite Managers
The Argentine name-dropped two fellow countrymen
On the flip side of things, the attacker listed two coaches that he worked with during his time in the Argentina national team among his favourite coaches:
“[Lionel] Scaloni, without a doubt. He’s a great coach in every sense because of the staff he has, the connection with the players and how he manages the games. It’s perfect. I think he’s one of the best.
“Then, Alejandro [Sabella], too. He was a manager who had a big impact on me. I learned a lot with him.”
Di Maria reached the World Cup final under Sabella in 2014, losing out to Germany. He would go one step better eight years later with Scaloni at the helm, scoring in the 2022 final before lifting the famous trophy following a pulsating penalty shootout victory over France in Qatar.
About Author
