Argentina international Ángel Di María shared insights in a wide-ranging interview with France Football. One topic he touched on was switching from England to France and how that impacted his career.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner discussed how leaving Manchester United in 2015 for Paris Saint-Germain felt like a “rebirth” for him. Di María had only spent one season at Old Trafford after winning Real Madrid’s tenth Champions League title.
Di Maria would spend eight years with the French giants, making 295 appearances across all competitions. The veteran winger scored 93 goals while registering 119 assists during his time with the Parisians
“It has been a complicated year at Manchester where many on-pitch and off-pitch events occurred,” Di Maria said (h/t Get French Football). “I was in a negative spiral and Paris changed my life. I started to feel again like I felt in Madrid.
“The fans gave me their love on day one. We always say French people don’t like you if you don’t speak French, but I never felt this way!”
The Argentine mentioned he needed a fresh start after his single season in the Premier League. Looking back, his seven years have flown by.
“From the first day, I felt at ease there,” Di Maria added. “I was happy in Paris. I had a French daughter so I will always keep a special link with Paris. I spent seven unforgettable years there for me and my family.“
It will be interesting to see if PSG can find another winger that can have the impact that Di Maria had. Could Bradley Barcola or Ousmane Dembélé
fill those shoes long-term? That’s the intriguing question.
