Di María reveals odd truth about joining Benfica: knew nothing | OneFootball

At the end of five years linked to Benfica (2007-2010 and 2023-2025), Di María fulfilled his dream of returning to Argentina and playing again for Rosario Central, with whom he is playing in the Copa Libertadores and was crowned Argentine champion in 2025. The winger looked back on his time at the Luz in an interview and admitted that he did not know where Portugal was.

"I played 36 matches for Central and had the chance to play in the U-20 World Cup, and that gave me the boost to be able to go to Portugal. A place I didn’t even know where it was, I knew absolutely nothing, but when I arrived I was very surprised", he revealed in comments to Sports Illustrated.

The 38-year-old said he saw similarities between Lisbon and Rosario and that he is grateful for the support of Benfica fans. "I found a city similar to Rosario, very similar. Incredible people, pleasant, happy. Honestly, I have no other word besides gratitude for everyone in Portugal, the league, Benfica, for everything they gave me during the five years in total", he said.

Di María - who got involved in controversy on social media - reinforced his view, stressing that the support was immediate. "From the day I arrived I became an idol, even though I wasn’t one yet, because I still hadn’t won anything, I still wasn’t anything, but they treated me that way. They saw things that perhaps at the time I didn’t see, but over the years everything happened and I ended up being very loved", he explained.

To finish, "Fideo" spoke about the time Maradona went to watch him play at the Estádio da Luz. "He was like a father, because he always protected me from everything, always tried to keep me away from everything. I don’t know whether it meant anything that Diego took me to a World Cup, but it certainly meant something that he went to watch me at Benfica", he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.