The legendary Argentine playmaker exposed the operational failures of his former club while reflecting on a toxic management system that permanently ruined an expensive move.
World Cup winner Angel Di Maria offered a timely warning about signing mismatched superstars. The playmaker arrived in Manchester from Real Madrid in August 2014 and enjoyed an explosive start, featuring three goals in his first six games. Things crumbled rapidly because former manager Louis van Gaal focused entirely on negatives, at least according to Di Maria, and he also alleged that the Dutch coach shunted the attacker across wide positions alongside the number ten role and central midfield.
However, the manager stated he never requested the signing, and felt that the addition was an institutional mistake lacking tactical synergy. Matters worsened following an attempted burglary at his Cheshire home. His wife, Jorgelina Cardoso, notoriously hated the location, and publicly criticized the disgusting food and complained about women resembling porcelain. She also expressed anger regarding the region getting completely dark very early. The attacker easily earned an FA Cup red card against Arsenal before dropping out of the eleven by March.
Di Maria details Man United exit
The winger refused to join the summer preparation tour across the United States. He secured a £44.3m exit to Paris Saint Germain before returning to Rosario Central. “Then I started to have issues with Van Gaal and from there everything fell apart,” Di Maria told BBC Sport. He noted he got robbed in Paris too, but stayed because life there felt good. His wife explicitly told the Daily Mail, “it’s night time at two o’clock” angrily.
He added:
“Like I said, I started really well. Everything was perfect. But then suddenly we started having lots of meetings about all the things I was doing wrong on the pitch. He never showed me what I was doing well, just the negatives, over and over. Eventually I got fed up.”
Di Maria currently plays for Rosario Central, where he joined in 2025.