Angel Di Maria said he continues to take medicines to tackle the disappointment and pressure from losing three straight finals with Argentina.
During a period of three years, Di Maria lost two Copa America finals together with the World Cup 2014 when Argentina was beaten 1-0 by Germany in Brazil.
The 37-year-old, however, played a major role in the recent successes of Argentina on the international stage.
He scored the only goal against Brazil in the final of the Copa America in 2021, while he also won the opener three years ago in the showpiece competition on the Qatar World Cup.
Only Javier Mascherano (147) and Lionel Messi (191) appeared more for Argentina than Di Maria (141), before he retired from international football last summer.
Di Maria also scored 31 goals for his country and became third on the list of all time, behind Sergio Aguero (41) and Messi (112).
But despite winning everything, there is to win at international level, including the finalissima in 2022, he said that his mistakes in the past are still cemented in his memory.
“That's why I still take the medicines,” Di Maria told Infobae as reported in ESPN.
“I could reduce it [dosage]. I am much better, but that is also something addictive. These are things that stay with you that mark you. “
Di Maria also expressed his fault for some of his teammates who did not experience the glory he did.
“Who remembers the boys who reached that world cup final and did not win?” he said. “Very few, it seems unfair to me. Who is talking about those children? Nobody,” he added.
'Very few can tell you how they played.
“I often said it when we became world champions, when we won the Copa America, I always said those trophies were too [thanks] to the previous generation. “
Despite calling time on his international career, Di Maria said, who now comes to Benfica, that he hopes to return to the national team in a certain capacity as soon as he all retires.
'I was 16 years old [with the national team] And it's like I had been to a club, “said Di Maria.” It is difficult, but I think I made the right decision.
“It is clear that it is tempting me because it is the national team. I have achieved everything I wanted. I left the way I wanted. I hope I can be there again one day, in a different role.”
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