Having joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2015, Ángel Di María went out with a bang at the Parc des Princes on Saturday and leaves the club as a true legend. Over the course of seven years, the Argentine dazzled the City of Light with his infectious passion and his endless desire to win. We take a look back at El Fideo's story in Paris.
6th August 2015: Ángel Di María crosses the Channel and signs a four-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, and it's love at first sight between the club and its latest gem. Having been given a fitting welcome, the new no. 11 felt right at home. A connection was created, and El Fideo would go on to spend seven years repaying all of that love on the pitch. Passion, togetherness and self-sacrifice would be the Rosario native's three magic words.
Only a short time after his arrival in France, Paris's newest star made his Ligue 1 debut on the Rock of Monaco. As if it were a sign of what was to come, Di María provided his first assist – and a sumptuous one at that – in a Rouge et Bleu shirt for Ezequiel Lavezzi. Bearing testament to his desire, he then needed just four minutes to open his account for Paris in the Champions League against Malmö FF.
In that same season, El Fideo helped Paris overcome Chelsea and earn a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, again providing an assist – this time for Zlatan Ibrahimovic – at Stamford Bridge. Di María closed out the 2015/16 campaign with 40 starts, 15 goals and 24 assists; Paris's gamble had well and truly paid off.
A new season brought new aims. After a mixed start to the campaign, it was on Valentine's Day in 2017 that Di María wrote one of the finest chapters of his story in the City of Love. On 14th February of that year, the capital club played host to FC Barcelona in the first leg of a last-16 tie that football fans everywhere were looking forward to. Having been lifted by the enormity of the occasion, the Argentine opened the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark with a perfectly-weighted free kick before bagging himself a brace to put the game beyond the visitors. What a magical way for our no. 11 to celebrate his 29th birthday!
In fact, the winger would always strike hardest when you least expected it. In 2018, Paris were up against the wall in the Champions League. Having found the going tough in the early part of the season, the capital club found themselves in desperate need of points. On the third matchday of the group stage, Napoli made the trip to Porte d'Auteuil, and the hosts were slow to get going. With Paris a goal down on home soil, our guardian Ángel came to the rescue with a divine, otherworldly strike. After Neymar Jr had got the move going, Julian Draxler laid the ball off to Di María, who proceeded to provide a moment of genius. The Paris player shifted onto his left foot and sent an unstoppable, curling shot into the top corner. Paris were saved, and Napoli were stunned.
Whenever there was something to play for, Di María was never too far away. In the semi-final stage of the 'Final 8' in Lisbon, with Paris 1-0 up, it was he who doubled his side's lead against Leipzig and gave them some breathing space, thereby helping the club into their first-ever Champions League final. Once the battle was over, the winger got his reward and was named Man of the Match for his impressive display from start to finish. "Honestly, it's going to be tough to sleep tonight. The team did a great job and had a great game. Now, we're only one step away from making history for the club," he said at the time. Paris wouldn't manage to win the final in the end, but it was still a great story, with the club's first Champions League final coming in the same year as its 50th anniversary.
In the Coupe de France final of 2021, Ángel became a Paris legend once and for all by taking top spot in the club's all-time assists chart, overtaking Safet Susic and his 104 assists in the process. In a nod to his Paris debut, it was against Monaco that he notched up the final pass that gave him the record.
Di María's time in Paris in numbers: 7 seasons, 18 trophies, 295 appearances, 111 assists and 92 goals.
After seven years of loyalty, togetherness and sacrifice for Les Rouge et Bleu, Ángel made his very last appearance for the club last Saturday against Metz at the Parc des Princes. After scoring in the 67th minute, the Argentina international broke down in tears whilst celebrating. He later left the pitch with a guard of honour from all of the Paris players and an ovation from all four corners of the ground.
From tears to smiles, it was an emotion-filled night for the whole Paris Saint-Germain family, who were saddened to see such an important player in their history leave.
The day after bidding his farewell, the "Angel of Rosario" wrote one last love letter to the Rouge et Bleu fans: "The day that I was dreading has arrived: the day that I have to say, 'See you later', because Paris will remain my home for life. My family and I have had seven unforgettable years here. Right from the first day, we've felt at home. I don't have the words to thank everyone at the club, all of the ultras and all of the fans. I came in with a bang, and I'm going out with a bang, too. My own and my family's pain and tears yesterday convey the love that we feel for this club, for this city and for all of the people that we've met. We'll miss you all very much. Thank you, thank you and thank you again a thousand times."
Such touching and gratifying words will go straight to the hearts of all those who love Paris Saint-Germain. Thank you, Ángel, for all these years, for your commitment, for your respect and for your love of the shirt. The Parc will forever be your home.