Mueez Ajao
– The clash between Argentina and the Netherlands is a famous fixture in the history of the World Cup. It will be the sixth time they meet, with a balance of one victory for the South Americans (1978), two for the Europeans (1974 and 1998) and two draws (2006 and 2014).
– This time, there will be added spice as this a member of each country who do not have a pleasant history. Angel Di Maria and Louis Van Gaal coincided at Manchester United and the Argentine does not have good memories of the Dutchman.
– In 2014, Manchester United announced the surprising signing of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid, but it didn’t work out well.
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– He signed a five-year contract and only stayed for one season. His poor performance on the pitch and his poor relationship with the Dutch coach led him to leave.
– After leaving United, Di María spoke to Argentine media outlet TyC Sports about that stage of his career.
– “My problem in Manchester was the coach. Van Gaal was the worst coach of my career,” he said.
– “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.”
– After a brief spell at Manchester United, the Argentine signed for PSG, where he got back to top form. However, that year in England left a mark on him and he still remembers Van Gaal.
– He is not a player who stands out for having problems with coaches, but in the case of the Dutchman there was never a good relationship.
– Now the two are meeting again, this time as rivals. But Di María is a doubt for Friday’s quarter-final. He did not play against Australia and it is not yet known if he will start.
– Lionel Scaloni is considering different options but is not yet ruling out including him.
