'Di Maria allowed to leave Real Madrid as he was ugly'

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Last Updated : Mar 02 2015 | 8:22 PM IST

FC Barcelona's assistant director of football Carles Rexach on Monday said Argentine midfielder and Manchester United record signing Angel di Maria was allowed to leave Real Madrid last year as he was too "ugly" for their desired image.

"(Vicente) del Bosque (former Real Madrid coach) and Di Maria are too ugly for Real Madrid. They are different from Toni Kroos (Germany) and James Rodriguez (Colombia)," Rexach was quoted as saying by dailymail.co.uk.

Rexach added Real president Florentino Perez is selling the brand of his club focussing on Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Florentino Perez looks at the world market and wants a team of Galacticos for everyone to admire,(Cristiano) Ronaldo is the flagship of the club. Perez is selling an international brand," he added.

Di Maria, who is struggling for form in recent United games, left Real for 59.7million pounds having guided Carlo Ancelotti's side to the Champions League last season.

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First Published: Mar 02 2015 | 8:18 PM IST

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