Angel di Maria has been a source of frustration for Man United fans. The massive £59.7 million signing from Real Madrid was supposed to help usher in the new era at Old Trafford, but instead has now completed a move to PSG for £44 million.
What wasn't expected though, was that he would be the source of one of the most anti-GAA rants we've seen in a long time.
The story begins yesterday, in the letters section of the Irish Independent. There, a Fred Molloy of Dublin 15 wrote in to congratulate Fermanagh on their efforts in ultimately losing 2-23 to 2-15. Mr. Molloy used this point to write about the rising cost of transfer fees in the world of international football:
This morning I read of some soccer player I've never heard of being signed for Paris Saint-Germain for a reputed €44m. I doubt if either Dublin or Fermanagh would have any interest, even on a free transfer.
Mr. Molloy ended his letter with a tribute to Ireland, and the passion that GAA players have and how they play for the love of their jersey.
This did not go down well with some. An Englishman by the name of Mike Burke, now living in Clare, was quick to reply with a fierce response for soccer.
It's fair to say that Mr. Burke isn't the biggest GAA fan, but maybe you can decide that for yourself. In an article entitled "Gaelic football is not fit to tie the boot laces of soccer", Mr. Burke goes from saying that GAA is just a mixture of two or three other sports and that the one-sided nature of the contests mean that it is a nonsense.
I am of an age now where other sports can't hold my attention and this sport, Gaelic football, that Mr Molloy obviously loves so dearly, to me is a nothing but a mixture of two or three other sports.
Its undefined rules on tackling especially, and the one-sided nature of most of the fixtures, especially this year, make it a nonsense.
Ending his letter with a question sure to rankle GAA fans across the country
If Mr Molloy's beloved football is such a thrill, why then is it not played in many more countries?
It seems like Mr. Burke isn't as enamoured with GAA as much as the rest of Britain's Sky Sports subscribers.
Mr. Di Maria couldn't be reached for comment on the situation that he has caused.
