And again with you: Di Maria is waiting more than anyone for the meeting with Atlético Madrid
Hataria, who was chosen as the outstanding player of the Champions League final in 2014, when he led Real Madrid to a 1:4 victory over Atlético, meets the same opponent in Bloomfield (Sunday, 9:30 p.m., Sport1).
After the seven years at PSG that damaged his legacy, the veteran Argentine wants to become the new leader of Juventus
Michael Yochin
02/08/2022
Tuesday, August 2, 2022, 3:00 p.m
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Tikteknu: today's summary clip, 2.8 (Sport1)
Angel Di Maria will be very excited to meet Atletico Madrid in Bloomfield in a Juventus uniform (Sunday, 9:30 p.m., Sport1), because against them he played one of the biggest and most important games of his career.
Looking back, not everyone remembers his huge contribution to Real Madrid's victory over their city rivals in the Champions League final in Lisbon in 2014.
After all, Sergio Ramos scored the critical equalizer in injury time to prevent a loss, and Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show as usual with the flamboyant celebration after the penalty that determined the final result - 1:4.
However, it was Di Maria who then won the title of outstanding actor, and rightly so.
He was everywhere on the pitch, fighting for every ball, leading the attacks, and it was his break that led to Gareth Bale's winning goal in extra time.
The Argentinian is more responsible than anyone else for Real winning the elusive Decima at the time, which became such a big obsession with President Florentina Perez.
In the perfect world this would have given him Real hero status forever and he would have signed a long-term contract to become a legend at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But this world is not perfect, and in fact this was the last significant appearance of the Italian in the white uniform.
The president saw him as a player too loyal to Jose Mourinho who had left a year earlier, and this identification worked against him.
Real tried to leave Di Maria back in 2013, and managed to do so at a handsome profit when Manchester United paid 75 million euros for him.
Against Atlético he played one of the biggest and most important games of his career.
Di Maria after the Champions League final in 2014 (Photo: GettyImages)
This money was invested in the signing of James Rodriguez from Monaco, after the Colombian shone in the World Cup.
Everyone knows how it ends.
The graceful playmaker found it very difficult to reach his potential after that and today, after many upheavals, he is fading in the Qatari league at the age of 31. On the other hand, Di Maria is actually opening a new page in his career in the Juventus uniform, after his own Qatari adventure - completely different, but still frustrating.
Because perhaps today he understands more than ever how much the 7 years in Paris Saint-Germain damaged his legacy.
After 4 excellent years at Real, Itaria had the potential to become one of the biggest stars of his generation, and even one disappointing season at Old Trafford wasn't supposed to change that.
It was the move to Princes Park in the City of Lights that was more damaging, despite the great acclimatization.
Di Maria has been one of PSG's most consistent players since 2015, as evidenced by 93 goals and 119 assists in 294 games, but it's been far from the limelight, and even Champions League performances haven't attracted the attention they deserve.
He has 6 French championships, his bank account feels great, and the stability at one club has been fantastic for his family, but the bottom line is that a career at the top of world football has been missed.
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Today he understands more than ever how much the 7 years in Paris Saint-Germain damaged his legacy.
Di Maria (Photo: GettyImages, BERTRAND GUAY)
Now, after the Qataris chose not to extend his contract, Di Maria will try to do his best to salvage something from the lost years, and here too he certainly had thoughts in the direction of Atlético.
At the end of the past season, reports were spread in Spain according to which the Etria was offered to Diego Simeone's team, and at the same time the contacts with Barcelona were also underway.
The fans of Real Madrid's two biggest rivals reacted with enormous enthusiasm to the possibility of his signing.
There are former Real players who will not be welcomed with open arms, but the Argentine's situation is different.
It is impossible not to appreciate his special combination - the virtuosity alongside a fighting spirit and a willingness to invest in any given moment on the field.
It is impossible not to admire his virility, which was manifested on so many occasions not only in his teams, but also in the Argentina national team.
It was he who scored the winning goal against Brazil in last year's Copa America final, 13 years after scoring in the 2008 Olympic final.
He signed Leo Messi's two gold medals in a blue and white uniform.
At Camp Nou they were happy to see him collaborating with the flea there, and not in Paris.
At Atlético, he would fit in perfectly in Diego Simeone's squad, who likes stars like him very much.
In both teams, he could have sought "revenge" on Real and Peres for the attitude they showed towards him, but in the end a slightly less spicy, but no less fascinating, option was chosen.
Juventus hope Di Maria will provide receipts like him.
Andrea Pirlo (Photo: GettyImages)
Juventus' tendency to sign stars as free agents has not always justified itself, and it is enough to mention Adrien Rabiot and especially Aaron Ramsey.
But it has worked well in the past, and the old lady hopes that the restaurant will actually deliver Andrea Pirlo-style receipts.
He does not play the role of Giorgio Chiellini, and his character is also completely different, but there is something in his spirit that reminds a little of the mythical brakeman.
He is able to be the responsible adult, to set an example for the young players, to drag them after him.
Unlike Saint Germain, Juventus will be able to give him a more significant stage.
Dusan Vlahovic longs to provide assists like him, and his experience could be very vital.
"I chose Juventus because it's the biggest club in Italy. There is a tradition of winning here and I want to contribute my part. I haven't changed - I still want to win at any cost. It's important to have a winning mentality, and that's something I can add," said Di Maria when he was introduced to Juve before a month.
Since then, he has shown positive ability in the preparatory games, and the last of them will take place in a week in Israel, against the opponent he has not met since 2014. After that, the real thing will begin in the Italian league, and the general rehearsal also has a special meaning - especially when it is held against Atlético.
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world football
Italian league
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Angel Di Maria
Juventus