Cristiano Ronaldo has aimed some biting criticism at his former Real Madrid teammate and Manchester United flop Angel Di Maria.
Speaking in London, ahead of the premiere of a new eponymous film about his life, Ronaldo shed light on Di Maria’s demeanour during the 2014 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid, and admitted that he was shocked by his then-teammate’s attitude.
“I love the pressure,” Ronaldo began, as per the Mirror. “When I do not feel the pressure, I want to take my boots, put them on the side and say: ‘that’s it.’ It has always been about success and winning. If I had to choose one title then the Champions League would be the most important.
“At 88 minutes gone in the final, I looked for Di Maria and I saw him face down thinking: ‘we have a better team but we are going to lose.’ But I always believe. I will always say that it doesn’t matter if you play good or bad, as long as you win. In 20 years, non-one will look back and say; ‘they played better, they created more chances.’ It just depends on who wins.”
Real fell behind through Diego Godin’s 36th-minute effort, but equalised in the 93rd minute through Sergio Ramos.
They ultimately won 4-1 in extra time as Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo himself found a second wind and defeated their city rivals.
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Despite being Man of the Match in the final, Di Maria had left Real within months, as he was sold to Manchester United.
A year later he had moved on from Old Trafford to Paris Saint-Germain, where he now plies his trade.
While Di Maria would not be welcomed back at United, Ronaldo remains a fan favourite at the club, and has been heavily linked with a move back to join Louis van Gaal’s side in recent times.