“I usually get past them all, but I think I haven’t played against him” - Ex-Real Madrid hero Di Maria names toughest defender he ever faced

Former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria has named Cristian Romero as the toughest defender he has ever faced. He joked that he had gotten past every defender he had come up against on the pitch, but said that the Argentine was hard to face in training.

Speaking to Benfica in his farewell interview, Di Maria claimed that he was always getting the better of his opponents but found it hard against Romero. He added that the Tottenham Hotspur star has the speed and strength to make it hard for all the forwards and said (via OJogo):

"A defender? I usually get past them all [laughs], but I think... I haven't played against him. Only in training. I think Cuti Romero, who's at Tottenham, is one of the toughest players or defenders to get past in every sense, because of his speed, his strength. So, I think he's the player."

Angel Di Maria scored in his final match for Benfica. The former Real Madrid star scored from the spot against Chelsea to take their FIFA Club World Cup Round-of-16 tie to extra time. However, they ultimately lost 4-1 and were eliminated from the tournament.

Angel Di Maria tore letter from Real Madrid ahead of FIFA World Cup final in 2014

Angel Di Maria spoke to Telefe in 2020 and said that he was injured but was still desperate to play in the FIFA World Cup final in 2014. He said that only three people knew how badly he was injured and added that he tore up the letter from Real Madrid asking him not to play in the final.

He said (via GOAL):

"The only three who know the truth are doctor Daniel Martinez, [coach] Alejandro Sabella and me. I had a tear in the game against Belgium, I was at about 90 per cent. The leg wasn't totally right, but I wanted to play and I didn't care at all if I never played football again. It was one of the things I was told could happen, but for me it was the World Cup final, it was my final.

"I knew [Real Madrid] wanted to sell me, and so the letter arrived. Daniel told me it was from Real Madrid, but I didn't even want to look at it and I tore it up. I went to talk to Alejandro and I told him, crying, that I wasn't at 100%. I knew he loved me and that he wanted me to play, but he sought the best for the team. I was going to have an injection. I wanted to try. But after the meeting, he decided to play Enzo Perez in my place."

Angel Di Maria is set to join Rosario Central this summer despite rumors linking him with a reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.