Angel di Maria: “Mastantuono is more talented and a better dribbler than me”

Ángel Di María spoke at length in an interview with AS, reflecting on his career path, his time at Real Madrid, the managers who influenced him most, and several current figures in world football.

From Benfica to Real Madrid

Di María recalled his development in Portugal and the moment Real Madrid entered the picture.

“I took it one day at a time until, in my third year in Portugal, I really broke through and offers started coming in from the biggest clubs in Europe. When Real Madrid came calling, it was obvious I couldn’t say no. It’s the biggest club in the world, and it was a privilege to be able to go there. It was a wonderful challenge because I reached the highest level a player can achieve at club level.”

José Mourinho

Speaking about José Mourinho, Di María was emphatic about the Portuguese coach’s impact on his career.

“What did Mourinho mean to me? Everything. Mourinho is number one, far ahead of everyone else, as a person and as a coach, for what he gives to the player, the team, and the club. He gave me everything, and I will always be grateful to him. He stood up for me to go to Real Madrid after a World Cup in 2010 that wasn’t good in terms of my personal performance, and he supported me to be by his side.”

El Clásico

Di María also spoke about playing in El Clásico.

“Every time we played a Clásico, it was something unique. After a World Cup final, the most-watched match internationally is a Real Madrid-Barça game. Those are the matches I love, played in front of the world; that’s where I feel comfortable. It’s a fierce rivalry, there’s been everything, but I always played with the love and affection of being able to play in such wonderful matches.”

Champions League Final and La Décima

The Argentine addressed his performance in the Champions League final.

“I was the MVP of the Champions League Final? That’s right. In football, goals and assists are what matter most, and that’s normal. I didn’t care about that, and I’m very proud to have been able to participate in that important victory for the club. More Champions League titles came later, but that one was special because of how long we’d been waiting for it.”

Carlo Ancelotti

Di María also spoke warmly about Carlo Ancelotti.

“Ancelotti is a great coach and a wonderful person. I’m very fond of him. I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of Carlo. He also supported me during a critical time, when there were rumors of me leaving that I’d never even heard of. He told me he was going to find me a place on the field so I could play. In a match against Osasuna, he put me in midfield, I scored a goal, and it changed everything. I played there several times and scored more goals. Ancelotti showed me a lot of affection, and I tried to repay him on the pitch.”

Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa

Asked about Xabi Alonso, Di María said:

“Yes I was surprised by Xabi Alonso’s departure. Mbappé already said it wasn’t a failure because he only lost the Super Cup final against Barcelona and he wasn’t doing so badly. The thing is, the pressure at Real Madrid isn’t easy. There’s little patience at such a big club and they want quick results, but he’s a great coach.”

On Álvaro Arbeloa:

“I don’t know what Arbeloa is like as a coach. He was a great guy, I liked him, and we had a good relationship. He didn’t start off well, but he’s turned things around, and it looks like things could go well for him.”

Real Madrid vs Benfica

Asked who he would support in a match between his former clubs, Di María responded:

“Who will I support tonight? This time I’m staying in the middle. Real Madrid is practically qualified and Benfica has a tougher road ahead, but I can’t choose. I was very happy at both places and I can’t pick. Whatever God wills.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Di María spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence on him.

“Yes Cristiano left a mark on me. In terms of professionalism, Cris is number one by far. His work ethic, his ability to maintain his level, his constant effort to be the best while competing with Leo was truly commendable, but he coincided with Messi’s era, which significantly complicated his goal…”

He later added:

“Cris was all about hard work and effort to be number one, but Messi later showed that he had a gift from God to be the best.”

Young Players and Comparisons

Asked about comparisons with Franco Mastantuono, Di María said:

“Mastantuono has been compared to me, but he’s much more talented and a much better dribbler. He’s a top-level player. He’s also been criticized and written off when things weren’t going well, just like Xabi, but he has his whole career ahead of him. Now he’s doing better, he’s started playing more, and he’s going to improve a lot, which is easy when you have the best players around you.”

He also highlighted Nico Paz:

“Aside from Mastantuono, Nico Paz has caught my eye. He has enormous potential for growth. I watch him regularly, and his level is very high. He’s playing spectacularly and shows signs that he’ll continue to improve and bring a lot of joy to Argentina.”

On Paz potentially playing for Real Madrid:

“Yes, he’s definitely a player for Real Madrid. The problem is that Real Madrid has a lot of good players, and bringing him here just to have him sitting on the bench isn’t good. Being at Como is doing him a lot of good; he’s confident, he’s even better than last season, and I’m very happy for him. He’ll get his chance to play for a big club.”

Departure from Real Madrid

Di María revisited his exit from Real Madrid in 2014.

“Yes it hurt when I left Real Madrid, because I didn’t want to leave. It was said that I wanted to earn the same as Cristiano, but that was a lie. How could I expect to earn the same as someone who has won several Ballon d’Or awards? I was very happy, I had won the Champions League, and Ancelotti didn’t want me to leave either, but James had arrived, and I was the one who was likely to leave. I tried to stay until the very last day. I intended to keep training. I played in the first leg of the Super Cup against Atlético Madrid, but they didn’t even call me up for the second leg because they’d already reached an agreement with Manchester United, something I wasn’t aware of, and I had to watch from home as Atlético won the title. My family and I were very happy, but sometimes these things happen, and it happened to me.”

Kylian Mbappé

Finally, Di María spoke about Kylian Mbappé.

“Yes. Kylian Mbappe has been among the best in the world for years. Team titles certainly influence individual accolades, but he proves every day that he’s among the greats, and today he’s the best. When he found his playing style, he became a game-changer.”