Van Gaal is the worst Coach I've ever had - Di Maria

By Robert Mutasi 

Ángel Di María has fired a long-standing feud between him and Dutch coach Louis van Gaal into life with a feisty statement. 

After he had spoken candidly about what he termed their past confrontations, Di María didn't spare his words as he termed Van Gaal "the worst coach" he has ever played under.

Now with Benfica, Di Maria didn't mince his words as he reflected on the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal clash between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Such was the nature of the highly charged match-in which Argentina narrowly made their way through to the semifinals via a penalty shootout-that it remains fresh in the mind of the 36-year-old.

"Van Gaal is the worst coach I have ever had, and I will never tire of saying it," Di María said. "The game against the Netherlands? We won in penalties, even though he said we wouldn't because he knew everything."

The rivalry between Argentina and Netherlands had reached another level during that World Cup match, especially after remarks from Van Gaal himself in the pre-match build-up insinuated his superiority in tactics would ensure victory for the Dutch side.

However, it ended 2-2 after extra time as Argentina won over the Netherlands 4-3 in the shootout lot.

Di María and Van Gaal have a history with the Argentine just having one season under him in the 2014-15 season at Manchester United.

The Argentine had moved to the Premier League club for a then-record £59.7 million but was unable to get his fluency when Van Gaal was at the helm.

Eventually, Di María left United after a single season, blaming openly for his struggles Van Gaal's rigid coaching style.

In the latest outburst, Di María alluded to Van Gaal's pre-match confidence and how the reverse of the game's outcome came to contradict the Dutchman's predictions. 

"He ended up shoving his words in… well, let's just say he ate his words, to keep it polite," Di María said.

That quarterfinal at the 2022 World Cup was definitely one of the most dramatic of the tournament. 

There was a lot of tension on and off the pitch because of many hot moments between players and staff. 

Argentina went on to win the World Cup, adding to the satisfaction Di María and his teammates likely felt after silencing their critics.

For Di María, the memory of that match remains a source of pride-and an opportunity to again blast the coach he has never forgiven.

Whether Van Gaal will respond to this latest attack remains to be seen, but this feud between the two shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon.