Angel Di Maria has exposed the ideal players he has at any time performed with – but showed no mercy to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The imaginative icon is nearing the end of his Argentina career as he intends to retire from worldwide football following the Copa The usa in the summer season.
With his profession winding down, the Benfica midfielder has been questioned to reflect on some of the biggest stars he has shared a pitch with – and torn opposition teams aside together with – in an job interview with MARCA.
In purpose, he opted for Emi Martinez ahead of Iker Casillas and David de Gea soon after the Aston Villa custodian’s heroic exploits at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which Argentina won.
Martinez will probable be ideal remembered for his last-ditch help you save from Randal Kolo Muani’s shot to deny France a late winner and get the activity to penalties.
Angel Di Maria has named the ideal players he has at any time played with in an job interview with MARCA
There was no space for Cristiano Ronaldo, who he performed with at Real Madrid for various several years
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At centre-again, he went for Sergio Ramos, who he performed with at Authentic Madrid, and ex-Manchester City centre-again Nicolas Otamendi, who he is aware from Argentina and Benfica responsibility.
Di Maria resolved not to pick a correct-again – restricting himself to just 10 players – in a damning verdict on the stars he had played along with.
That record would include things like Antonio Valencia, Alvaro Arbeloa, and Pablo Zabaleta among the others, but he was pleased to have the ‘incredible’ Marcelo from Actual Madrid as his left-again.
In midfield, he selected previous Anfield favourite Javier Mascherano along with Rui Costa, who was finishing his career at Benfica when Di Maria was just beginning out.
That left four slots readily available for a formidable, unparalleled entrance 4.
Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Kylian Mbappe produced the grade in a fearsome 4 who have scored just about 2,200 targets concerning them.
Regrettably, Di Maria still left Ronaldo twiddling is thumbs on the sidelines, although he would have superior organization with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Karim Benzema, and Danny Welbeck.
‘I experienced the option to enjoy with so numerous and have that privilege that sometimes if they will not inquire me a query like that I never start wondering about who I played with and the truth is that it is ridiculous if I have to set myself collectively. I could simply set together two all-star groups,’ Di Maria mentioned.
Emi Martinez, who was important in Argentina’s 2022 Planet Cup triumph, was the only present-day Premier League player he selected
Di Maria failed to even choose a ideal-again, this means the likes of Antonio Valencia have been left to simmer on his bench
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano created the slash in a two-man midfield along with Rui Costa – leaving him with some weighty lifting on the defensive side of things!
He just isn’t the first soccer legend to price Ronaldo a rung below his friends.
Ronaldo Nazario raised eyebrows previous 7 days when he failed to involve the current Al-Nassr star in his checklist of the eight greatest gamers ever.
It really is hard to say that Di Maria was basing his view on areas this sort of as how the team would fit with each other, taking into consideration he failed to eve deig to consist of a ideal-back.
Now 35, he moved to Benfica in the summertime and is taking pleasure in a fruitful year at his first European club, owning scored 11 objectives and made five assists.
Benfica are second in the Portuguese top rated flight, just a issue behind frontrunners Sporting CP.
