Angel di Maria, the winger for Benfica, is set to bravely return to his youth club Rosario Central ten months after threats against his life led him to abandon a similar intention.
The 37-year-old launched his professional career at Rosario in 2005, with the Argentine first division side revealing his comeback on Thursday.
“Our journey together still has more chapters to unfold. Welcome back,” the club from Rosario stated alongside a video shared on X.
The 2022 World Cup champion played two years with Rosario before transferring to Europe with Benfica.
He subsequently appeared in over 700 matches across Europe for clubs including Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris St-Germain, and Juventus.
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Di Maria nearly rejoined Rosario as a free agent last summer, but escalating drug-related crime in the area and several threats to him and his family derailed his plans.
In July of the previous year, Di Maria recounted: “A threat occurred at my sister’s business—a package with a pig’s head and a bullet in the forehead, along with a message indicating that if I returned to [Rosario] Central, the next head would be my daughter Pia’s.
“Those months were dreadful. We could only endure the pain and weep each night over our inability to fulfill that dream of returning.”
Di Maria has claimed 30 trophies in Europe, including league championships across three countries and the 2013-14 Champions League title with Real, in addition to the World Cup and two Copa America titles with Argentina.
He made a return to Benfica for a second stint in 2023 and is set to depart the club following the conclusion of next month’s Club World Cup in the United States.
