Angel Di Maria has admitted to clashing with former manager Louis van Gaal during his ill-fated stint at Manchester United and hinted that his poor relationship with the Dutchman contributed to a dip in his performance.
The former Real Madrid player joined United for a British record £59.7 million (Dh337.4m) last season, but after an impressive start at Old Trafford, with three goals in his first four games, he suffered a two-month injury lay-off and failed to score again in the league.
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Towards the end of the season he was regularly left out by Van Gaal and was sold to French champions Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €63 million (Dh261.6m) after the campaign.
“It is difficult to adapt to Van Gaal because he points to his philosophy,” the British media quoted Di Maria as telling ESPN Radio in Argentina, where he is on international duty preparing for the game against Bolivia on Saturday.
“Everyone takes what he wants and does. I started very well with him and then had a couple of clashes.
“There came a time when I did not have a good relationship with Van Gaal and that influences much in a player’s mind,” the 27-year-old Argentina winger added.
“At Manchester United I played very well but then got injured. Things did not work out and I also changed my position.
“The coach was the one who decided that and I ended up being more on the bench than in the team.”
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