Angel Di Maria has released a personal statement following his transfer from Real Madrid to Manchester United, in which he insisted he never wanted to leave the Spanish capital.
Di Maria, 26, spent four years at Madrid, capitulating a superb final season with a Champions League victory. In his letter, he insisted he never wanted to leave Madrid for United, but that he felt forced to do so. The Argentine has just set a British transfer record after his £59m transfer.
In the letter, he has said: “My cycle at Real Madrid has come to an end. It’s impossible to capture all I have experienced here in a few lines, but this letter is to communicate how I’m feeling at the moment of parting.”
“In these four years I’ve had the honor of wearing this shirt I have felt nothing but pride for what I went through and what I have achieved with my teammates.
“Unfortunately today I have to go but I want to make it clear that this was never my desire. I’ve always wanted to progress, as anyone does in their job.
“I went to the World Cup after winning La Decima with the hope of getting some signal from the club but it never came. Many things and many lies were spoken.
“They always wanted to attribute the idea of leaving on me but that’s not what happened. Unfortunately my football isn’t liked by someone.
“The only thing I asked for is fairness. There are many things I value and many of them have nothing to do with my salary.
“I hope I can find them at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world and at which I’m hoping to make history.
“I’ve been lucky enough to share a dressing room with fantastic players, who have been even better companions. I think that was the key to La Decima.
“I want to apologize for the times I was wrong, on or off the pitch. It was never my intention to harm anyone. I sweated for this shirt in every game as if it was my last.”
The World Cup runner up was a key figure in Real Madrid’s success last year but has obviously felt ostracized over the course of the summer. The Argentine will be looking for a fresh start at Manchester United, but these developments perhaps enlighten all as to the nature of his departure.
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