Lionel Messi‘s stint at Paris Saint-Germain didn’t go exactly according to plan, as the Argentine star was booed and whistled by many fans as he failed to help the club win a highly desired UEFA Champions League trophy.
Not only the fans, but also the French media was harsh on the 8x Ballon d’Or winner, a relationship that only got worse after Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
While PSG paid a tribute to the 36-year-old in his return to practice, Leo never got a recognition at the Parc des Princes. In a recent appearance of the ‘Rothen s’enflamme’ show of RMC Sport, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi explained the club thought such a tribute would backfire for the Argentine star.
“We are in France. He won against Kylian (Mbappe) and it’s a French club. I didn’t want the whole stadium to whistle against him,” Khelaifi said.
Lionel Messi poses with his jersey next to President Nasser Al Khelaifi after the press conference of Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes on August 11, 2021 in Paris, France.
Messi had taken a dig at PSG over lack of World Cup tribute
Even though he got a little tribute before his first practice back from Qatar, it looks like that wasn’t enough for Messi to consider it a proper celebration by the club, claiming he was “the only player of the entire Argentine national team that his club did not recognize“.
see also
PSG are being investigated for lobbying to ensure Lionel Messi won the Ballon d"Or
Al-Khelaifi had already reacted to Messi’s comments, denying PSG didn’t honor his World Cup victory. “As everyone saw, because we even published a video, we celebrated Messi in training, and we also celebrated him in private,” Al-Khelaifi told RMC Sport in September 2023. “But with respect, we are a French club. Of course it was sensitive to celebrate in the stadium. We have to respect the country he defeated, his French teammates, and our supporters too.”
After a two-year stint in Paris, Messi packed his bags in July 2023, leaving for MLS side Inter Miami as a free agent. Since then, he made it clear he feels much happier in South Florida than in the French capital.
“I have great respect for him, but someone talks badly about PSG, that’s not good, that’s not what respect is,” Al-Khelaifi said in regard to Messi’s several comments on his difficult moments at PSG. “He’s not a bad boy, but I don’t like it. I want any player to speak when he’s there. Not when he’s gone. That’s not our style.”
