Holland coach Louis van Gaal has shrugged off criticism from Argentina winger Angel di Maria ahead of Friday's World Cup quarter-final.

Di Maria played under Van Gaal at Manchester United and called him the "worst" coach of his career after his one-year stay in England.

"I don't like it that Angel said that, it's a pity," said Van Gaal.

"But sometimes a head coach has to take decisions that don't always end well."

Di Maria, who sat out the last-16 victory over Australia with a thigh problem, joined United from Real Madrid for £59.7m in 2014, but was sold to Paris St-Germain the following summer after starting just 20 Premier League games.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the Dutch boss jokingly used his relationship with forward Memphis Depay, who also struggled under him at United, as an example of how relationships can alter over time.

"He (Di Maria) is one of the very few players who has ever said that, normally it's the other way round," said Van Gaal, before suggesting he and Depay were now close enough that he would happily give the forward a kiss.