<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/DiMaria-e1409140559210.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-112304" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2014/08/DiMaria-600x337-600x337.webp" alt="DiMaria" width="600" height="337"></figure></div></a>
Manchester United officially announced <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/08/24/manchester-united-agree-to-record-breaking-63-9-million-fee-for-angel-di-maria-says-report/">the signing of Angel di Maria</a> amid the backdrop of a 4-0 insult at the hands of impudent league one side MK Dons. So abject was their display that if you were watching both teams for the first time you would struggle to believe United was the team purchasing the&nbsp;£60 million player. Yet they have, and in doing so may have indelibly changed the course of their season and the course of the career of di Maria. Or at least the course of the conversation for the next few weeks.
There has been a lot of debate about where di Maria will fit into <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/08/26/louis-van-gaals-selection-predicament-a-real-cause-for-concern/">Louis van Gaal’s system</a>. It seems that the Dutch manager has decided that the 3-5-2 formation he used with the Netherlands at the World Cup – that more often than not turns into a 5-3-2 formation – is now the way forward for the Red Devils. If that is the case, it is hard to see where he would slot into the team, and easy to see why some people have greeted the purchase with slight skepticism. He is a good player they say, but bought in a position that is not United’s pressing need. Some would brand him a panic purchase by a desperate team, a cosmetic distraction from the real issue. Like a man grabbing his gun from his holster out of fear in a pitch black room. It’ll make you feel better about the situation, but ultimately it won’t solve the problem. Obviously that would be a line of thinking which would be possibly underestimating the player, but then playing beside the belle of the ball Cristiano at Real Madrid and the messianic Messi at Argentina will do that to you. All that dogged determination and frantic acceleration seen as background noise to football’s version of Ali vs Frazier.
However, as his price tag loudly proclaims, di Maria is not just any random player, and the necessity of the purchase wasn’t just about tactics. It was about making a statement and showing the world, the media, their fans, their opponents and indeed their corporate sponsors that, despite results on the pitch and a lack of Champions League football, the Manchester United name still had the power to attract a member of the elite. A truly world-class player, his presence will provide a sharp injection of pace into the heartbeat of United on and off the pitch, and could even serve as a magnet for other top level players. In a way they had to break the British transfer record, to try to show that United was still the same fabled team, like Real Madrid did in 2009 when they brought Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabéu. They have bought a player filled with ambition and self-belief, traits that used to be synonymous with the great United squads under Sir Alex Ferguson in the last two decades. He is determined, sometimes unpredictable, scarily quick and imaginative on the ball – all qualities that the new United have sorely lacked. He has also been standing in the shadow of two great heavyweights, and now is his chance to step into the light at Old Trafford, the commercial juggernaut that needs a hero.
Madrid meanwhile, have made an unquantifiable mistake. It is easy to underrate a player when he is playing beside Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, but di Maria was instrumental to that Champions League winning Real Madrid side of 2013/2014. His departure is a by-product of their insatiable desire for the new and shiny, a Galactico business model that they have stuck to for better or worse. His industry, flair, pace and work ethic will be missed. Initially at Real Madrid he was an enigma, sometimes brilliant, sometimes flattering to deceive, almost like Nani was for Manchester United. The last two years however, has seen a marked rise in di Maria’s stature. He was priceless for the Madridistas, initiating countless counter attacks from deep in his own territory, a key feature of Carlo Ancelotti’s swashbuckling side. He had 17 assists last season, the most by any player in Spain, England or Italy. Even Diego Simeone, manager of arch rivals Atletico Madrid, recently called di Maria “the best player they (Real Madrid) have”. A slight exaggeration considering the presence of the World Player of the Year, but still indicative of the esteem with which di Maria is now held. Madrid will hope that new arrivals James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos bed in quickly. Kroos in particular will aim to bring control and balance to a side that sometimes seemed overloaded with pacey forward players when Madrid had Bale, Ronaldo, di Maria and Benzema in full flight. Di Maria’s departure seems to have come from a falling out with the Madrid hierarchy, who – if his open letter in Marca is any indication – he feels ultimately forced him out of the club.
However, with his divorce from Madrid now concluded, di Maria, like a scorned lover, will have a point to prove. He is going to a team that is shorn of confidence. Tuesday’s loss to MK Dons, a team formulated as recently as 2004, is the latest nadir in a series of nadirs for the Red Devils. The fact that United fans all over the world were only mildly surprised as opposed to visibly shocked at the result is indicative of how far and how fast United are falling. Di Maria’s big money purchase is the latest in a long line of attempts to reanimate a zombie-like United. As a team they seem cautious at best, and at worst uninterested in the drudgery of everyday football. First they called on David Moyes and Marouane Fellaini, then the trickery of Juan Mata, then the nostalgia of Ryan Giggs and most recently the eccentricity of van Gaal. Now they have called out to di Maria from the recesses of the deep. He will help pull them up out of the abyss and propel his career to dizzying heights, or they will fall together into the unfortunate pile of past glories and might-have-beens. Either way, it’ll be fascinating to watch.

Angel di Maria Capture Only One Piece Of The Manchester United Jigsaw Puzzle

Angel di Maria Capture Only One Piece Of The Manchester United Jigsaw Puzzle  - World Soccer Talk

It is quite early to discuss next season’s Champions League particularly with the World Cup looming ahead but Inter’s historic treble was much more than a great achievement. It proved once again how difficult it is to repeat as a champion in Europe’s elite club competition. For the Nerazzurri winning the Champions League is the ultimate experience having waited for more than four decades to repeat as champions of Europe.
President Massimo Moratti helped fund the building of the Nerazzurri squad and brought in Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho with the specific objective of bringing European glory to Milan considering the current Serie A title holder have not won the Champions League since the 1960s. Previous boss Roberto Mancini succeeded in breaking the dominance of Juventus and Milan since the early 1990s but failed to combine domestic success with an extended run in Europe’s elite competition as he never guided the Nerazzurri to the Final.
Mourinho succeeded in winning Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League yet he is racing to the exit door leaving the Nerazzurri in a delicate situation following the best season in the club’s history. Players such as Maicon and Diego Milito are now being linked with a move to Real Madrid which is Mourinho’s likely destination. It is only time before Mourinho is confirmed as the boss in Madrid unless he has a change of heart and opts to stay with the Nerazzurri. Other clubs are beginning to assess their chances of luring some of Inter’s key players to leave the peninsula as Arsenal have reportedly shown interest in goalkeeper Julio Cesar while Manchester City are looking to capture midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. These reports might not become reality but all these claims are a major distraction for a club celebrating a historic treble and with some of the star players headed to South Africa 2010.
Assuming Mourinho and some of the players jump ship, the Nerazzurri will be losing some key components while skipper Javier Zanetti is only getting older despite his consistent displays. Zanetti deserves credit for his fighting spirit and for putting in solid performances time and again despite his age. Below is a brief look at some of Inter’s main competitors for next season:
Barcelona: The former holders were ousted by Inter and will be looking to regain their lost title. Barca are one of the most talented teams in the world with Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez leading the charge. Barca have added a star name in the shape of striker David Villa while the Catalans remain in pursuit of Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas. If they do sign Fabregas then the team will likely start the next La Liga season and Champions League campaign as one of the favourites.
Real Madrid: The record winners of the Champions League will welcome with open arms Mourinho who has made it clear he will only leave the Nerazzurri for Madrid. In Madrid he will have greater individual talent to work with yet less of a cohesive unit and a weaker team spirit. Mourinho will be motivated to turn this team of stars into a strong and unified squad. Los Galacticos already have former Milan idol Kaka and world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks but it would not be a surprise if Mourinho asked for Maicon and Diego Milito to be signed from Inter. If they do, then Los Galacticos will be considered as a firm favourite considering they only missed on La Liga title by three points and many forget it does take time for news players to gel together.
Chelsea: Ironically Mourinho was shown the doors at Stamford Bridge because he failed to bring European glory to the London club but he did punish his former&nbsp;employers by eliminating them in the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating them twice home and away. Chelsea hired former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian succeeded in leading the Blues to a historic double&nbsp;by winning&nbsp;the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season in charge. Ancelotti made it clear his main objective for next season is to repeat the domestic double and to win in Europe. While Chelsea have a strong squad with experience and talent, the players as individuals are below the talent level of Spanish giants Real and Barca.
Bayern Munich: Bayern proved they are a solid team after a slow start to the season and the final in Madrid was perhaps a small representation of their season as they only began to show their potential after conceding the first goal to Inter’s hero Milito. The Bavarians will have Arjen Robben (despite rumours linking him with Juventus; &nbsp;just unlikely to happen for a number of reasons) and French star Franck Ribery will apparently return after missing the Champions League final due to suspension. The Germans are a solid group but like Chelsea they are not on par with Real and Barca if individuals are compared on a position by position basis.
Manchester United: Manchester have one of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson but he can certainly be stubborn leading him to make the odd mistake here and there, particularly when it comes to offloading certain players or refusing to bring in the appropriate players to replace outgoing stars. The Red Devils did not replace Cristiano Ronaldo and their challenge for Chelsea in the Premiership and before that in the Champions League tie against Bayern&nbsp;&nbsp;faltered once it became clear Wayne Rooney is carrying injury. If Manchester do not sign a couple of solid players, in particular one goal scorer to complement Rooney, then they will likely fall short in the early knockout stages with perhaps a quarter-final spot at best.
There are other less likely contenders but the strongest ones would be Italian duo Roma and Milan yet the two sides have a number of limitations such as their restricted budget for bringing in players and in the case of the Rossoneri an aging squad. Milan will need Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato to stay and will hope a capable coach will take charge at Milanello to promote a few promising players from the youth sector and sign a number of quality players to reinforce the team. As for Roma they have do not have a deep bench and their first team is often riddled with injuries due to the age of some key players such as Francesco Totti. It is unlikely either squad will win the Champions League but they can play the role of a spoiler if their stars remain healthy and fit.
It is quite hard to repeat in the Champions League as shown by the famous Milan side in the 1990s which dismantled Barca 4-0 in an epic encounter only to loss the next year in the final to Ajax Amsterdam who in turn were defeated the following year by Juventus. The Bianconeri would go on to play in two more consecutive finals yet the curse of repeating would also prove to be their downfall despite having the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero (at his peak).
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What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League?

What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League? - World Soccer Talk

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Angel di Maria Capture Only One Piece Of The Manchester United Jigsaw Puzzle

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What Next For Inter After Winning The Champions League?