PSG's Di Maria: 'My relationship with Real is over'
Angel Di Maria will return to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to face Real Madrid in the Champions League, and the former Los Blancos standout admits he isn't terribly fond of his time in the Spanish capital.
"My relationship with Real is over," Di Maria told So Foot on Tuesday.
A Champions League winner with Real in 2013-14, Di Maria was later shipped to Manchester United for a £59.7-million fee, leading to a disastrous spell that saw his move widely considered the worst transfer of the season. Now with two-and-a-half seasons under his belt with Paris Saint-Germain, Di Maria says he no longer feels a connection to Real, and would even consider a move to its hated rival.
"My period there has been over for a long time. Frankly, it would not be a problem for me to play for Barca, on the contrary," the Argentine international conceded.
An authority on pinpoint crosses, Di Maria also said he doesn't need any extra motivation for the knockout stage's marquee matchup, though an incident ahead of his participation in the 2014 World Cup final has provided exactly that. Hampered by a groin concern that kept him out of Argentina's semi-final victory, Di Maria was the subject of a letter from Real to La Albiceleste's brass that requested the winger be rested ahead of a potential sale.
"The letter said that the Argentinian selection had to be cautious of what could happen to me in the event that I played in the final," Di Maria recounted.
"I do not need to reflect on this letter to be motivated against them. Playing against Real Madrid is already a motivation in itself."