In a candid and revealing statement, Ángel Di María didn’t hold back when reflecting on his time playing under Dutch manager Louis van Gaal. In fact, he minced no words in his assessment, labeling van Gaal as the "worst coach" he has ever had the misfortune of working with. Di María expressed that he has no hesitation in repeating this sentiment, saying it’s something he would never grow tired of sharing. This sentiment is rooted in his experience while playing under van Gaal, which he implied left a lasting negative impression.
One of the key events that solidified this view for Di María came during a particularly intense encounter between the Argentine national team and van Gaal’s Netherlands side. Van Gaal had confidently predicted that his tactical knowledge and superior understanding of the game would lead to the Netherlands’ victory over Argentina. According to Di María, van Gaal made it clear that he believed Argentina stood little chance of beating his team, as he claimed to "know everything" about how the match would unfold.
However, the reality of the match turned out to be quite different from van Gaal’s confident assertions. Despite the Dutch manager’s apparent confidence, the game ultimately went to penalties, and it was Argentina who emerged victorious. This victory was particularly sweet for Di María and his teammates, not only because they had proven van Gaal wrong, but because they had done so in such a dramatic fashion, during a penalty shootout—arguably one of the most pressure-filled ways to decide a match.
Di María took particular satisfaction in seeing van Gaal’s pre-match comments come back to haunt him. In his own words, Di María explained that van Gaal ended up "eating his words" following the game. He originally hinted at a much harsher way of expressing this sentiment, but stopped himself in order to keep the tone polite. Instead of elaborating in explicit terms, Di María opted to say that van Gaal "shoved his words" in a place that wasn't flattering, leaving the rest to the imagination.
The tension between Di María and van Gaal isn't just a product of a single match, but part of a broader, strained relationship that stretches back to their time working together at Manchester United. During his one-season spell at the club in 2014-2015, Di María struggled to adapt to the Premier League, and his form suffered under van Gaal’s management. Many have speculated that van Gaal’s rigid tactical approach and poor man-management were significant factors in Di María’s inability to settle at the club. Although Di María is an immensely talented player, van Gaal’s system didn’t seem to bring out the best in him, and their relationship reportedly deteriorated over the course of the season.
This history likely contributed to Di María’s sharp criticism of van Gaal, as the Argentine winger clearly holds a grudge against his former manager. Even years later, the memories of that difficult period at Manchester United, compounded by van Gaal’s cocky predictions ahead of the Argentina-Netherlands clash, have left Di María with little but disdain for the Dutchman. The satisfaction of proving van Gaal wrong, particularly in such a high-stakes environment as an international tournament, clearly provided Di María with a sense of vindication.
In his Netflix interview, Di María didn’t shy away from speaking his mind, and his words offer a fascinating glimpse into the complex relationships that can develop between players and managers. For Di María, it’s evident that van Gaal’s methods and personality clashed with his own, to the extent that he feels no compunction about publicly criticizing the manager, even years after their professional relationship came to an end.
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