With all this bluster about Angel di Maria’s future it brings back into sharp focus how football has become a mercenary sport.
Noone would enjoy an attempted burglary, of course, but if Di Maria really wanted to sign for Manchester United in the first place – on moving to the club he said:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Spain and there were a lot of clubs interested in me, but United is the only club that I would have left Real Madrid for.”
– then why is he seemingly keen on leaving so soon? Surely he’s made of sterner stuff?
So it’s refreshing that we get a real sense of authenticity from Bastian Schweinsteiger when he says that it’s an honour to join Manchester United. He is quoted as saying:
‘It’s a big honour. I had a joke with Wayne [Rooney] about it before, but it’s a big honour to be the first German player here for the first team. It’s a great feeling.’
Schweinsteiger dons a United kit in his earlier days
It’s a huge challenge for the player to move to such a competitive league after an entire career in Germany.
Many would have taken the easy route and stayed at a club where adulation was guaranteed, even if he had a stinker next season.
But in joining Manchester United at the age of 30, the captain of Germany has made a bold statement.
And, unlike so many stars of the modern game, he seems to have joined Manchester United for the right reasons.
Let’s see some of his best career moments.
Spanish Red
Jul 16, 2015 at 7:56 pm
Two points you seem to miss, (as usual). Di Maria is an idiot. Living in Spain I have had the misfortune to see him more than most in the UK. I posted warnings against buying him but, at the time, Woodward had just told the world that money was no object for United and he wanted to prove it. So no, he is not made of sterner stuff, he is a liar and an idiot.
Secondly, whilst I agree that Schweinsteiger is genuinely happy to move to United, they still had to offer him more money than Bayern did. This means he would have stayed in Germany had he got the better offer there. So your comment on it being refreshing is rubbish. He is a mercenary, nothing else. The only difference is that he wanted to play for the club who offered him the most money, whether that be Bayern or United, he was happy either way as long as he got the money.