Lionel Messi: There was a ‘fracture’ between me and many PSG fans
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, who left Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami this summer, revealed that there was a “fracture” between him and my supporters of the French heavyweights.
As one of the greatest football players of all time, Messi joined PSG in 2021. Though the club failed to achieve any breakthrough in the UEFA Champions League, to which they had been looking forward for a long time, Messi helped PSG extend their dominance in the French top league by winning another two Ligue 1 titles.
Meanwhile, Messi maintained excellent performances, with 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 games for PSG. It was not an easy job to do because he had to just his style of play in a new system with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
However, a lot of fans of PSG began to boo Messi at the Prac des Princes, the vlub’s home stadium in Paris, specially after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in December 2022.
“Well, I think in the beginning it was something wonderful,” Messi said in an interview with beIN Sports. “Same as the reception I had when I arrived. But then some people started to treat me differently, a part of the Paris supporters.”
“I think the vast majority still see me and treat me as they did at the beginning, but there was a fracture with a significant group of the Paris fans, which obviously wasn’t my intention, far from it. And well, it happened just as it happened before with [Kylian] Mbappe, with Neymar. I know that’s the way they behave,” he added.
The World Cup in Qatar became the first one in the tournament’s history to take place in the middle of the Europe season. As result, European leagues and tournament had to take a pause.
“So, I think the World Cup affects everything for different situations, because of the timing in the season,” Messi said. “I don’t think it is an excuse, either, because many of the players went to the World Cup, but I think that in general the level of the league or the Champions League has felt a little bit of the wear and tear of the World Cup, even though we won it. Everyone comes back in a different way for different reasons,” he added.
“Personally, I haven’t really understood why so many people were relieved that he was leaving.
We are taking about Messi, he should be respected-but instead, he didn’t get the respect he deserved in France. It’s shame, but that’s how it went.
He’ll have to be replaced as best as possible, Mbappe said of Messi earlier this month.
Sources & Courtesy: CGTN
