Newly-signed Manchester United star Angel Di Maria has penned an emotional open letter to the Real Madrid fans after sealing his £59.7m move to English Premier League side Manchester United.
Completing his Red Devils switch on Tuesday, the Argentine thanked all the fans, coaches and teammates for the four years he spent at Santiago Bernabeu, winning a La Liga cup, a Copa Del Rey trophy, and the famous "La Decima", Los Blancos' 10th Champions League title.
The letter, revealed in an article by Spanish publication MARCA, the 26-year-old star admits he wished to stay at Real Madrid, but decisions from the board forced him to seek a "fair deal" at the Theatre of Dreams move.
"My time at Real Madrid has come to an end. It's impossible, in just a few lines, to put all I have gained here, but this letter is my way of explaining how I'm feeling now that I'm bidding the club farewell. Over the four years I have had the honour of wearing this shirt, I have felt nothing but pride about everything that has happened and all I have achieved together with my teammates.
"Sadly, now I have to go, but I want to make it clear that this was never my wish. I've always wanted to progress, as anyone else does in their job. I went to the World Cup after winning the 'Decima' with the hope of getting some signal from the Club Management, but it never came. Many things were said and many lies circulated. They always wanted to pin the idea of leaving the club on me, but that's not how it was. Unfortunately, my football isn't to someone's taste. The only thing I asked for was a fair deal. There are many things that I value and a lot of them have nothing to do with my salary. I hope to find them at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, with which I'm hoping to make history.
Someone didn't want me at Real Madrid, claims Angel Di Maria
Over his four years at the Bernabeu, the Argentine won a La Liga title, a Copa Del Rey, and the famous "La Decima", Los Blancos' 10th Champions League trophy
"I've been lucky enough to share a dressing room with some fantastic players, who have been even better teammates. I think that was the key to winning the Tenth Champions League. I want to apologise for the times I made mistakes, on or off the field. It was never my intention to do wrong by anyone. I sweated for this shirt every game as if it were the last. There were times when things went well, and times when they didn't, but what I can say is that I always gave it everything.
Di Maria came under a lot of criticism from Los Blancos fans, even being investigated by Real, after making this obscene gesture, believed to be directed at the supporters, when jeered off the pitch during his substitution
"I want to thank Spain for everything it's given me and especially for being the country where my daughter was born. And I would like to send a very special thank you to the people at the Montepríncipe hospital, who will always be in my heart. My wife, daughter and I will be forever grateful. Also to my teammates, who always supported me, in good times and bad, to the various coaching teams I've worked with and also to all the people who work at the club on a daily basis, who I have a great relationship with.
Di Maria thanks his team-mates, who always supported the Argentine during his time at the Bernabeu
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"I hope that Real Madrid have a great season and achieve the ambitions the club is always keen to push for. That moment at the Bernabéu in the 'Supercopa' when I came onto the pitch and was greeted with such great affection from the crowd will stay with me forever. Thank you so much. It still gives me goosebumps. I could not think of a better farewell for what turned out to, unfortunately, be my last game.
Hala Madrid! Always and forever!"
Angel Di Maria
