By Joiner Martinez
20 Jul 2024, 16:42 PM EDT
Argentine striker Angel Di Maria, world champion and Copa America champion with his national team, will continue this season at Benfica, according to an announcement made on Saturday by Rui Costa, president of the Portuguese club.
“He will continue at Benfica, it has already been announced. And as happened a year ago, when he was at the World Cup and then came back to sign a contract, the same will happen now. Di Maria is a Benfica player and that is out of the question,” said the former footballer and manager at a press conference during the inauguration of a club headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Di María’s decision had been leaked to the Portuguese media before the Copa America final that crowned Argentina, but it had not yet been made official by either party. Neither did anyone in his native Rosario make any comments on the matter and, until then, a glimmer of hope remained alive.
Fideo had a first stint at the Águilas between 2007-2010, in which he was champion of the Portuguese league and twice in the country’s Cup. And he returned to the club in 2023 and confirmed that he is fully active, being the figure of the team.
Di María, who after 145 games, 30 goals and four consecrations (in addition to the last one, the 2021 Copa América, the Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup, all with his own goal in the final, plus the Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2008), decided to end his cycle in the National Team, will extend his career for another year at Benfica, which bought him in 2007 from Rosario Central for $8 million dollars.
There he won three titles (one league) and stayed until 2010, when he left for Real Madrid for $40 million dollars (there he lifted the 2013/14 Champions League) and returned free in mid-2023, already a world champion, after passing through Manchester United, becoming a legend at PSG and Juventus. Upon his return, he added another star in the Portuguese Super Cup. Now he will go for more.
Otamendi loaned for the Olympic Games
Given that clubs are not obliged to release players for the Paris Olympics, because it is not a FIFA competition, Rui Costa explained why Nicolás Otamendi was given permission to represent Argentina.
“The decision to authorise Otamendi for the Olympic Games is a bit of a reward for the career of a player who has won everything with the national team. It is not a question of privilege, but we have given in to the request of a player who has won everything in his career and is missing this achievement, he has this ambition, he is the age he is and therefore… we know the professional we are dealing with and we understand that he must go to the Olympic Games. Apart from that, we have a squad that is good enough to face the season and Otamendi will once again be a key player for Benfica,” he said.
Keep reading:
Lionel Messi says goodbye to Angel Di Maria: “He leaves us but with another Cup”
“Ángel Di María: Breaking the Wall”: Netflix presents the documentary series about the footballer’s life
Angel Di Maria gives his opinion on Cristiano and Messi: “In the end, the best is the one who has the most Ballon d’Ors”