Di María looked back on his worst experience in Europe

Despite playing for historic clubs such as Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, and Benfica, there is one chapter of his career that Ángel Di María still remembers with bitterness: his spell at Manchester United.

In an interview with BBC Sport, the Argentine World Cup winner admitted that he ended up “hating” his time at Old Trafford because of the difficult relationship he had with former manager Louis van Gaal.

“Things started very well. Everything was going smoothly. Then I started having problems with Van Gaal and from there everything collapsed,” said the current Rosario Central player.

A record signing that turned into a nightmare

The Argentine winger joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in August 2014 for €75 million, a fee that at the time became a British transfer record.

And his start seemed to justify the investment. In his first six matches, the Argentine produced three goals and four assists, showing flashes of the incredible level he had displayed with Real Madrid and Argentina.

However, the situation quickly deteriorated. Van Gaal constantly moved the player across different positions, using him on both wings, as an attacking midfielder, and even deeper in midfield, something that severely damaged his confidence.

His relationship with Van Gaal completely broke down

As the months passed, the tension between manager and player became increasingly obvious inside the Manchester United dressing room.

Di María claims the Dutch coach constantly focused on the negative aspects of his game, a situation that emotionally drained him.

On top of that, a traumatic attempted robbery at his home in Cheshire while he was with his family completely destroyed any desire to continue living in England.

Less than a year after arriving as one of the biggest signings in world football, the Argentine requested to leave and eventually joined PSG for €63 million.

Van Gaal never wanted the signing either

Ironically, years later Louis van Gaal publicly admitted that he never requested the signing of Di María and that the transfer had been decided directly by the club.

The Dutch manager even described the move as a mistake within Manchester United’s sporting project.

Now, at 38 years old and back at Rosario Central, Di María reflects on a chapter that began full of excitement and expectations but ultimately became one of the most frustrating periods of his entire career.

Follow all the action from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on beIN SPORTS.

Watch beIN SPORTS Xtra live for free on YouTube