Di Maria says Van Gaal's relentless criticism made him hate Manchester United

Angel di Maria has admitted he ended up hating his time at Manchester United, blaming Louis van Gaal’s management style and a series of off-field difficulties for a miserable single season at Old Trafford that ended with his departure in 2015.

The Argentine winger arrived in the summer of 2014 as the marquee signing of Van Gaal’s first window in charge, costing a then British-record £59.7 million from Real Madrid. Despite a bright start, his form quickly deteriorated — and he has now pointed to the Dutchman’s approach in team meetings as a key reason why.

“I started really well. Everything was perfect,” Di Maria told the BBC. “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.”

Life away from the pitch compounded his unhappiness. Having previously played in Madrid and Lisbon, Di Maria found the climate and pace of life in the north-west of England difficult to adjust to. A burglary at his home made things worse.

“Life there was very different. It gets dark really early and then the cold started. Everything kept snowballing. There was also the break-in at my house,” he said. “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 ends up affecting you a lot. It made me hate being there.”

Di Maria drew a pointed contrast with his experience in Paris, where he was also robbed but chose to stay for a further two or three years because life there suited him. “I wanted to prioritise my family and that is why I left Manchester,” he added.

It has been reported that Van Gaal never requested the signing and considered it a club-imposed decision, also struggling to find a position in his system where Di Maria could function effectively.

The winger’s subsequent career made the exit look all the more damaging for United. He spent seven years at PSG, winning multiple honours, and in December 2022 scored in the World Cup final as Argentina were crowned champions in Qatar — one of several high-profile players to flourish after leaving Old Trafford during that era.