Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Di Maria: It was difficult at Man Utd but I'm happy now


The Argentina international is relieved to be back competing in the Champions League with his new club after his solitary season at Old Trafford
Angel Di Maria says he is happy to be back competing in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain after a “pretty tough” year at Manchester United.

Di Maria, 27, joined United for a British-record fee of £59.7 million in the summer of 2014, but struggled to adapt to English football after a promising start.

The Argentina international was absent from Louis van Gaal’s U.S. pre-season tour squad and joined French champions PSG for £44.3m this summer.

Di Maria won the Champions League with Real Madrid the season before joining United, and admits that a year away from continental football was difficult to deal with at Old Trafford.

Asked about his absence from last season’s competition, Di Maria told UEFA.com: “Yes, I missed it a lot, actually.

“Last year was pretty difficult for me – I couldn't play and my injury was really complicated. Not being able to compete in the Champions League after having won it made it a pretty tough time for me.”
Di Maria capped his return to the competition with an early goal in the 2-0 Parc des Princes victory over Malmo last week, and has adapted to life in France quickly.

Speaking about his move to Paris, the midfielder said: “It's really nice here. I train every day with a smile on my face – I'm happy to be here, and I have been settling in well with my team-mates.

“Paris is a really nice city. My family has felt very good here from the first day they arrived. That makes it a lot easier for me to focus on football.

“From the day I arrived here, I could see the quality of the players here and the ambition they have to win [the Champions League] – the desire they show in every training session and in every match.

“We all have the same ambition and desire to fight for it. And I think that with the players here we can achieve it.”

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