Di Maria threatened after shooting at a petrol station: "We're waiting for you"

"We, the people of Rosario, are waiting for you Di Maria" (sic). This is the message, handwritten in red pen on a sheet of a filing cabinet, that a group of criminals left after shooting up a service station in Rosario, Angel Di María's hometown. One more in the ordeal the Argentinian has been suffering for several months.

Apparently, it all stems from the footballer's doubts about whether or not to return home after leaving Benfica this summer. The criminals are opposed to this because Angel Di Maria has been particularly vocal in publicly denouncing the problems with drug trafficking in his hometown. On Wednesday night, two hooded men on a motorbike fired several shots at a petrol station in the area of Lamadrid and Oroño, in the south of Rosario. Before leaving, they left the aforementioned note addressed to the world champion.

In late March, Angel Di Maria himself received another warning at the door of his own home in the Funes Hills Miraflores area, where he and his family stay when they visit Rosario. On that occasion, a vehicle threw a black nylon sign with a message addressed to his father, Miguel: "Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because if he doesn't, we'll kill a relative.

"Not even Pullaro is going to save you. We don't throw papers. We throw dead people", the message continued. In addition, security guards in the area told the Rosario media that at least four shots were heard as the car sped off. The Pullaro quoted is Maximiliano Pullaro, governor of Santa Fe, who also has a strong pulse against the scourge of drug trafficking.

And it is not the only one. A mural in homage to Angel Di Maria was also recently vandalised on the walls of the El Torito Club pitch, where the ‘Fideo’ began his football career. The criminals wrote on his image "you're still coming back". For the time being, everything seems to indicate that he will not and his future will be quite different.

Although the Argentine press claims that Di Maria has an offer from Rosario Central to return 17 years later, Fabrizio Romano himself said on Thursday that the Argentine international will play for Inter Miami. There he will be reunited with his countryman Leo Messi and will be able to play with the Barca trio of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.

 

May 30, 2024