Argentina’s Angel Di Maria during training. REUTERS
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has dismissed claims by Argentina and former Manchester United player Angel Di Maria that he was the worst coach of his career.
Di Maria joined the English club in 2014 for a reported £59.7m from Real Madrid after winning the Champions League. The excitement around the Argentine’s move soon turned to disgust for United fans, as Di Maria failed to live up to the hype, struggling to adapt to the English game.
With Van Gaal as United coach, Di Maria endured a torrid season in which he scored three goals and provided 10 assists.
His house was also famously burgled, and the Argentine never fully recovered.
After leaving United, Di María had said he only stayed for one year, and it was not the best time of his career, adding, “I was not allowed to spend my best time there.” “My problem in Manchester was the coach. Van Gaal was the worst coach of my career,” Di Maria told Argentine media outlet TyC Sports.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal during a press conference. REUTERS
“I would score, assist, and the next day he would show me my misplaced passes. He displaced me from one day to the next; he didn’t like players to be above him,” the winger added.
Meanwhile, responding to Di Maria’s statements as the Netherlands take on Argentina today in the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Van Gaal said, “Di Maria is a really good football player. At the time he played for Manchester United, he had a lot of personal issues. There was a break-in, and that also affected his fitness.
“The fact that he referred to me as the worst trainer; well, he’s one of a few players. I don’t like that he said that, but it’s, unfortunately, a pity.”
“There’s someone here next to me, Memphis (Depay); he played for Manchester too. Memphis had to deal with it, too, at Manchester. A head coach doesn’t do some things without good reasons,” he added.
