SUMMARY
- Both Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo had a great partnership in Argentina.
- Previously, Angel Di Maria talked about his birthday party, in which Cristiano Ronaldo made a humble gesture.
Angel Di Maria at Real Madrid was one of the most terrifying versions of the Argentine. Di Maria, who was quite young at the time, would take on elite defenders for fun and was a menace on the soccer pitch.
The 36-year-old combined his skills and pace perfectly with immaculate technique to become one of the best wongers on the planet. A match winner himself, Angel Di Maria begged the honor of the man of the match when Real Madrid won ‘La Decima.’
However, one interesting aspect of the Argentine’s career at ‘Los Blancos’ was his partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo. The two players combined brilliantly on the pitch and proved crucial for the Spanish club. However, it looks like it was the off-the-pitch behavior of CR7 that impressed Di Maria more.
Angel Di Maria was left impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s humble gesture
Angel Di Maria recalls how CR7’s presence on his birthday meant so much to him. It was the Argentine’s first birthday party in Madrid, and he had invited all his teammates. However, the FIFA World Cup 2022 winner had little hope about the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival; after all, CR7 was a global superstar. But to Di Maria’s surprise, Cristiano Ronaldo did not just come but also looked very jolly during the party.
🗣️🇦🇷 Ángel Di María: “I invited Cristiano Ronaldo to my first birthday party I had in Madrid. I didn’t think he would come, but he did. He ended up sitting down with my friends like they were anyone. It surprised me.
On the pitch, he always wants to be number one, but he is… pic.twitter.com/msaCZWlGkH
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) March 1, 2024
Angel Di Maria said in an interview with El Libero, “I didn’t think he would come, but he did. He ended up sitting down with my friends like they were anyone. It surprised me. On the pitch, he always wants to be number one, but he is totally a different person off the pitch. He is class”.
The Portuguese player competes fiercely on the soccer pitch but also leads his personal life honestly and respectfully. CR7’s soccer career is a testament to his professionalism, and we can also learn the art of separating work from personal life from him.
🥳 Ángel Di María…
😱😱😱 Remember this sensational rabona assist? #UCL #ThrowbackThursday #TBT pic.twitter.com/zCAPojPpnz
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 14, 2019
Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo have had a spiteful relationship in the past few years. Both players have provoked each other publicly, and this hasn’t done any good for their legacy. However, it is an undeniable fact that both Di Maria and CR7 have deep respect for each other in their minds.
Di Maria recalls how Jose Mourinho fought with CR7
The Portuguese manager coached Real Madrid for two seasons, from 2010 to 2013. Jose Mourinho revolutionized soccer in the Spanish League by building a formidable ‘Los Blancos’ side that was deadly on the counterattack. The 61-year-old created history when his Real Madrid side won La Liga in the 2011/12 season with 100 points and 121 goals. However, the fans also credit Jose Mourinho for developing Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring abilities.
Despite the success, Angel Di Maria documents how feisty Jose’s relationship was with its players. He tells the story of how, one day, Jose Mourinho had a go at Cristiano Ronaldo. Angel Di Maria said (via Mirror), “He fought with anyone though, he didn’t give a f*ck. One time he fought with Ronaldo telling him he didn’t run, that everyone ran for him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo under Jose Mourinho was a beast 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/YIrB3y0elP
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) February 20, 2024
That just shows how serious the Portuguese manager is about his work. When matters were worse, Jose did not even care about straining the relationship with his star players. Angel Di Maria, however, admitted that he had never had any spats with the former Chelsea manager.
Despite the fight, Cristiano and Jose have always maintained a strong relationship. CR7 would be forever thankful to Jose Mourinho for unleashing the beast inside him.