On Sunday, midfielder Ángel Di María said goodbye to the Argentine national team after winning the Copa América, beating Colombia 2-1 in the final at Hard Rock Stadium in the USA. After the match, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and coach Lionel Scaloni commented on the 36-year-old athlete’s retirement from the national team.
The Atlético de Madrid player lamented the departure of the number 11, but also praised the athlete’s entire winning career.
“Fide (Di Maria) is leaving us, we will miss him a lot. The truth is that seeing him up close was a spectacle. What a player we enjoyed, he deserves to leave like this,” he told DSports.
“On the one hand, sadness, obviously, because he’s leaving, but on the other hand, a lot of happiness, because only the chosen ones can end their careers this way, being champion of America, world champion, winning at Wembley, he achieved everything. The wait was worth it, he left a huge legacy, it’s up to us to continue it,” he told TyCSports.
Angel of eternity 🫶 pic.twitter.com/93f8DSlyUm
— 🇦🇷 Argentina National Team ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) July 15, 2024
Coach Lionel Scaloni also spoke about Di Maria’s retirement from the national team. The coach praised the midfielder’s commitment to the team and revealed that he tried to convince him to continue playing for Argentina.
“Ángel played some spectacular games for us, but today was one of the best. In addition to playing well, he had the attitude to press when the team’s legs stopped working and started running as if he were 25 years old. And that’s within the hierarchy he has, which is superior to many others,” he said in a press conference.
“I don’t have much more to say, he’s a legend and he’s leaving. There’s no way to convince him. I’ve already told him to go to one more game so he can say goodbye with his fans because he deserves it… but the way his story ended for him seems like a movie. I couldn’t have imagined it in my wildest dreams… but he deserves it, honestly,” he concluded.
In addition to this year’s Copa América, Di María also says goodbye to the Argentine national team with the World Cup (2022), another Copa América (2021), a gold medal at the Olympics (2008) and a Conmebol-UEFA Champions Cup (2022).
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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