Van Gaal destroyed my Manchester United dream, says Di Maria
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 26.05.26. | 18:35
The Argentine admits his record-breaking move to Old Trafford collapsed under constant criticism, tactical confusion and family struggles that eventually made him "hate" life in Manchester
For years, the transfer of Angel Di Maria to Manchester United has stood as one of the Premier League's great mysteries. A world-class player arriving from Real Madrid for a British-record fee, only to disappear almost as quickly as he came.
Now, the Argentine finally believes he knows exactly why it failed.
In an emotional interview with the BBC, Di Maria openly blamed former United manager Louis van Gaal for turning what initially felt like a dream move into an experience he “hated.”
"Things started really well. Everything was flowing," Di María recalled.
"Then I started having issues with Van Gaal and from there everything fell apart."
The beginning had indeed looked perfect. Signed for £59.7 million in July 2014, Di Maria exploded into life at Old Trafford with three goals and four assists in his first six matches, immediately appearing capable of dragging Manchester United back toward the top of English football.
But according to the Argentine, the atmosphere quickly changed behind the scenes. Van Gaal constantly moved him between positions - out wide, as a number 10 and even deeper in midfield - while repeatedly focusing on what he believed the player was doing wrong rather than what he was doing right.
"He never showed me what I was doing well," Di María said. "Only the negatives, over and over again. Eventually, I got fed up."
The football frustrations soon became personal struggles, too.
Life in England never truly suited Di Maria or his family. The dark winter days, the cold weather and, most traumatically, an attempted burglary at his home in Cheshire while his family was inside only deepened the discomfort surrounding his time in Manchester.
"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 affects you a lot," he admitted.
"It made me hate being there."
Even Di Maria himself acknowledged the situation spiralled beyond football.
"I got robbed in Paris too and still stayed there for another two or three years because life there was good," he explained.
"In Manchester, everything just snowballed. I wanted to prioritise my family and that is why I left."
The unhappiness extended beyond the player himself. Di Maria's wife, Jorgelina Cardoso, had already publicly described her experience in Manchester as "horrible" during an interview in 2022, admitting she never wanted the move to happen in the first place after their idyllic life in Madrid.
By spring, Van Gaal had already begun leaving Di Maria out of the starting lineup, with injuries and a red card against Arsenal further complicating matters.
And once the season ended, the relationship was effectively over.
Di Maria refused to return for United's pre-season tour before eventually forcing through a £44.3 million move to Paris Saint-Germain just one year after arriving in England.
"He said I never showed up for pre-season, but I had already told the club I wanted to leave," Di Maria said. "I stayed in Rosario until a decision was made."
Yet despite all the bitterness surrounding the experience, Di Maria insists he does not regret joining Manchester United. In fact, parts of the dream still survived.
"When it comes to the Premier League, the atmosphere, life around the club… honestly, I was left with a good feeling because there were great people inside the club who always treated me well," he admitted.
"It was a decision I wanted to make. Arriving at those stadiums, the atmosphere, the fans - I don't regret any of it."
Then came perhaps the most human moment of all.
"I used to play as Manchester United on the PlayStation," Di Maria smiled.
"I played with Wayne Rooney on the game… and suddenly he was standing beside me in real life."