PSG are first in Ligue 1 standings, in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, and playing like a team on a mission, almost two years removed from the departures of Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Kylian Mbappe is now the team’s out and out star and with a possible move to Real Madrid pending, the French World Cup winner’s ego has been checked by making this PSG, HIS PSG.
According to ESPN reporter and speaking to TNT Sports, Julien Laurens believes the turnaround at PSG comes down to two key issues, Mbappe feeling happy and Lionel Messi’s departure.
Julien Laurens on Lionel Messi at PSG
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Julien Laurens stated on TNT Sports, that PSG is “much more of a team” this season in the aftermath of Messi leaving. Laurens also believes that Mbappe on his last year of his contract is also a factor for the French star to go out with a bang after seven seasons.
When it comes to Lionel Messi, Laurens stated, “I mean, Messi didn’t care that much, but still, it was Messi and now in the dressing room, you’ve got people who just get on with everyone, who tell jokes to everybody in different languages, whereas before you had clans, and it doesn’t seem that there are [any] clans anymore.”
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Laurens may have a point, Messi has been accused before of forming “clans” at the teams he is at, above all Argentina where at a time the team was known as “Messi and friends”. At Inter Miami that stark difference among teammates is noticeable, as Messi is never seen interacting with any teammate outside the pitch that is not Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.
