Argentinean midfielder Ángel Di María said Tuesday that he was he was set to return to hometown club Rosario Central, but changed his plans due to increasing drug-related violence in the region and threats against his family.
Di María, who retired from the Argentina national team following their Copa América win earlier this month, said that among the tactics employed against him and his family was the shipment of a pig's head with a bullet in its forehead and a package received by his sister and her family that included a written death threat against his daughter.
"There was a threat carried out in my parents' neighborhood which became public and at the same time another one at my sister's property which didn't come to light because my sister and my brother-in-law were scared and did not report it," Di María told Rosario's Canal 3.
Di María, 36, said he and his family abandoned their hopes of returning to Central following the threats in March. The tactics "overruled anything else," he said.
"Those months were horrible," he said, adding that "we could only sit there and cry each night over not being able to carry out that dream" of returning to the club where he made his professional debut. Despite the threats, Di María said he received criticism from Rosario fans for not returning home.
"Those who don't understand, they don't put themselves in my place for one second," Di María said. "Because it's easy to mistreat others on social media without putting yourself in somebody else's shoes."
Rosario and the surrounding area are experiencing increased violence tied to narcotrafficking, which has given way to intimidation tactics against regional and national figures.
Di María's comments further signaled a possible return to Benfica. Officials with the Portuguese side have indicated that the midfielder had reached an agreement to sign a new contract for next season.
