Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal, Angel Di Maria, Premier League, Football, Transfers
Alex Brotherton
Topics: Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal, Angel Di Maria, Premier League, Football, Transfers
Angel Di Maria didn't hesitate when asked to name the worst manager he has worked with during his career.
Few players can match the career Di Maria has enjoyed at the top level, nor the achievements he has on his CV.
The Argentine winger enjoyed success at Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, and finally got his hands on the World Cup trophy in 2022.
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The 36-year-old Benfica star won't have many regrets about his career when he retires, but joining Manchester United might be one of them.
Months after inspiring Real Madrid to victory in the 2014 Champions League final, Di Maria joined United for a then British transfer record fee of £59.7 million.
Though he made a fast start to life in the Premier League, the Argentine's form soon dipped and he left United for PSG 12 months later.
Di Maria's struggles to adapt to life in England were partly to blame, and his frosty relationship with then-United manager Louis van Gaal didn't help either.
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In fact, Di Maria has now admitted that the Dutchman is the worst coach he has worked with during his glittering career.
"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," Di Maria recently told ESPN Argentina.
Unsurprisingly, Van Gaal has a different view on why Di Maria flopped at Old Trafford.
"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," the former United coach since explained.
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"He could not deal with the continuous pressure on the ball in the Premier League. That was his problem."
Van Gaal followed Di Maria out of Old Trafford a year after the attacker, days after winning the FA Cup.