The wife of a former Manchester United star has spoken out about how much she hated living in Manchester in a damning interview.
Jorgelina Di María – who is the wife of Argentinian footballer Ángel Di María, who played for the Red Devils between 2014-2015 – has been grabbing headlines after giving a tell-all interview on Argentine TV show LAM this week, and taking aim at our “horrible” city in what seemed to be somewhat unprovoked attack.
Di María signed for Manchester United back in August 2014 for what was a then British transfer record of almost £60 million.
Most of the winger’s club career appearances have been when he played for Paris Saint German between 2015-2022, but prior to arriving in Manchester, Di María enjoyed a four-year spell at Spanish giants Real Madrid, and had played for Benfica in Portugal’s capital Lisbon, as well as Rosario Central in his home country.
United fans will probably remember that the Argentine struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and left Old Trafford just 11 months later.
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He made only 32 appearances, and scored just four goals and grabbed 12 assists.
And now, it’s transpired that the player himself wasn’t the only one who had found it difficult to adjust to a life in a new city, as his wife has revealed just how disappointed she was by her husband’s decision to join the club, and initially told him to make the move alone after visiting England on holiday prior to his big-money move.
Jorgelina slammed life in Manchester, the people, the food, and even the appearance of the women.
She told Argentine TV show LAM: “Angel came to me one day and said, ‘Look at this proposal from Manchester United’. I didn’t want to go, I told him to go alone. ‘Let’s go, both of us’, he replied.
“It was a lot of money, more than the Spaniards had offered, so we went.”
It seems like Jorgelina was less than impressed by the city from the pair’s initial visit: “We were friends with Gianinna Maradona, Sergio Aguero’s ex wife, and we travelled to Manchester on vacation [but] it was always horrible. We came home and I said: ‘If you’re ever transferred, make sure it’s anywhere in the world but England.’
“I didn’t like it at all – I can tell you.
“People are all weird. You walk around and you don’t know if they’re going to kill you. The food is disgusting. The women look like porcelain.
“Angel and I were in Madrid, at the best team in the world, perfect food, perfect weather, everything was perfect. And then came United’s proposal. I told him ‘no way, no way’, but he kept saying we will be a little more financially secure and we have to go. We fought about it.”
Jorgelina admitted that while she doesn’t blame her husband for making the move to United, explaining that “if you work in a company and someone offers you double the salary, you go running” – but that doesn’t change her opinion on the city.
“It was horrible, so horrible,” she added.
“I just told him, ‘darling, I want to kill myself, it’s night time at two o’clock.'”
Ángel Di María had previously spoken about his time at Manchester United, saying of his own departure back in 2016: “I started very well, then I had problems with people in the club. I started going to the bench, this happens in football. After the robbery at my house, everything made me want to leave quickly.”
Section of the 2025 Manchester Marathon to be named after Jamie Laing following ultra fundraiser
Danny Jones
Comic Relief has a new hero and after his ultra-distance and ultra-hard fundraising feats, Jamie Laing looks set to have part of the 2025 Manchester Marathon named after him.
He’s come a long way from the days of McVitie’s fortune and Made in Chelsea moments.
The English TV personality turned presenter, podcaster and businessman embarked on an unbelievable ultra marathon challenge earlier this week, setting himself the task of running a total of 150 miles for Comic Relief. With no training…
Making his way from London all the way to Manchester and in Salford Quays, specifically, where the BBC coverage team and thousands of spectators met him with rapturous applause, he completed the unbelievable distance and was in tears at the finish. Here’s the moment he did it:
Full of emotion after not only having smashed the five ultra marathons in five days – who had never run anywhere near this distance before in his life – but after raising nearly £3 million for the cause and counting, there were hugs and plenty of tears all-round.
Laing described the experience as “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life” and said that a big part of the journey was battling through and drawing attention to the issues surrounding mental health, admitting: “I have suffered, and I do suffer, and that’s OK.”
Now, while we don’t have that power at present, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing, which comes courtesy of the Adidas Manchester Marathon.
With Laing having officially completed his consecutive ultra marathon challenge, the organisers are now preparing to name a section of this year’s route through Greater Manchester in his honour.
Come on, how cool is that?
The moment Jamie Laing ran 150 miles and cemented himself in Comic Relief and Manchester Marathon history (Credit: The Manc Group)
While the exact details are still yet to be confirmed, Mancs taking on the biggest run of the year will run through ‘Laing Lane’ or ‘Jamie’s Junction’ when the Marathon rolls around on Sunday, 27 April.
The event team are still waiting to verify which portion of the 2025 route the 36-year-old, having passed through the likes of Stockport, Chorlton and other areas on his way to 0161, but there’s no question about what needs to happen – it’s just the name we need to settle on.
Andrew Smith, CEO of A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation) UK, the country’s leading mass participation events company, said of the achievement: “Jamie’s challenge is nothing short of heroic – five ultramarathons in five days is no easy feat!
“Not only has he crossed the finish line, but he’s also raised an incredible £2.7 million for Comic Relief. If he did pass through our 2025 route, we’ll be proud to name that stretch after him – a lasting tribute to his endurance, energy, and impact.”
We’re just over a month away from the 2025 race, the fourth-largest in all of Europe, and with a couple of members of The Manc team taking it on again this year, we for one cannot wait.
A new finish line has already been announced for this year’s route and while we can’t tell you exactly which part of the Manchester Marathon will be named after Jamie Laing just yet, we promise to give it an extra pump when we pass through wherever it is.
It’s also worth reminding that you can still donate to his incredible Red Nose Day fundraiser right HERE.
Greater Manchester’s running culture continues to flourish with more clubs, events and representation than ever. You love to see it.
Huge queues expected in Manchester as £110 tram-inspired trainers go on sale
Danny Jones
Manchester is preparing for huge queues of ‘sneakerheads’ to descend upon the city centre as a local fashion label Drama Call is set to release a limited run of limited edition tram-inspired trainers in partnership with Adidas.
The UK fashion scene continues to ‘Head North’.
Yes, that is the name given to this exciting new collaboration between streetwear brand Drama Call, who have gone viral on numerous occasions with their exclusive drops, and one of the most iconic names in sports apparel on the planet.
In truth, these shoes would have been snapped up in an instant regardless, but there’s something about a Manchester designer teaming up with a global clothing brand to create a product so distinctly like Manc like a pair of trainers inspired by our tram network that just tickles our fancy.
Credit: Adidas x Drama Call (supplied)
You’re looking at Adidas’ Superstar II model the ‘Drama’ edition: a creative twist on an old-school classic design inspired not only by Drama Call’s growing streetwear aesthetic but, more specifically, a retro look at Manchester’s Metrolink trams.
The Superstar II ‘Drama’ features teal accents that pay homage to the city’s classic tram design – long before the yellow of the modern era, let alone the Bee Network, and is the follow-up to their previous crossover shirt with both Adidas and Manchester United.
For this first release in what is set to be a multi-drop collab collection, you can see Drama’s unmistakable star-shaped logo reimagined on the Originals mainstay shell-toe, as well as an updated heel tab, tongue, sole and a silver hangtag
There are even nods to the insignia in the small star-shaped slits found between the trademark three stripes which help with breathability.
You can see these features up close and in greater detail down below:
Credit: Supplied
Speaking on their latest crossover, Adidas said: “This partnership between adidas Originals and Drama Call demonstrates the true power of collaboration.
Born from our shared love and deep-rooted heritage within British culture, the Superstar II ‘Drama’ expertly blends the best of Drama Call with an icon of adidas Originals design, adding even more stars to our shell-toe for 2025.”
As for Drama Call founder, Charlie Bows, he added: “We can’t wait for people to Head North and get their hands on the Superstar II ‘Drama’, a shoe that combines Drama Call’s Mancunian roots with an iconic adidas Originals silhouette.
“We wanted to do our city justice and pay homage to the place that has grown and sculpted us, so we placed the map of Manchester on the under-sole of the shoe, allowing your feet to always be rooted in the city.
“We decided to completely re-create the shoe box to look like the old tram we would get on as kids growing up in Manchester, representing a simpler and easier time. The graffiti artwork on the side of the shoe was done by a close friend of mine who I grew up skating with, to really bring it round full circle.”
Like what you see? Well, you’ll have to have a fair bit of luck on your side if you want to get your hands on them as we don’t even know how many shoes are up for grabs.
A limited run of the Superstar II ‘Drama’ will be available exclusively on Saturday, 22 March at Adidas Originals and Drama Call’s ‘Head North’ pop-up which will be located just a short walk from Manchester’s Piccadilly Station.
These tram-inspired trainers will be available for £110.00 a pair, from 65 Ducie Street from around 1pm. They’re not the only thing up for grabs either (see down below).
Given that hordes of fans line up to try and get their hands on the latest Drama Call release whenever a new piece is about to drop, you can expect so serious queues around Piccadilly and a few viral videos capturing the chaos, we’re sure.
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2022 
