Soccer

World Cup winner baffled by PSG's handling of Lionel Messi, launches scathing critique against Ligue 1 champions

Lionel Messi's tenure at Paris Saint-Germain did not go as anticipated. A member of the Argentina national team has now spoken out against the Ligue 1 winners for their treatment of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Lionel Messi of Argentina and his teamamtes
Ā© Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesLionel Messi of Argentina and his teamamtes

When Barcelona ran into financial difficulties and couldn’t afford to extend Lionel Messiā€˜s contract, he left in 2021 and signed with Paris Saint-Germain. It wasn’t an easy first year for him with the team, managing just 11 goals and 15 assists.

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In his second year in Paris, the veteran improved dramatically, scoring 21 goals and dishing out 20 assists across all competitions. However, while he did his best, he was unable to assist PSG in winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

The Argentine superstar had been met with vociferous whistles and jeers at the Parc des Princes ever since he joined, and the atmosphere only became worse since the defeat to Bayern. Also, he was banned from the team for a while due to his unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia. That made the fans even more upset.

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What did Leandro Paredes say about Lionel Messi and PSG?

Leandro Paredes was another player that the Argentine interacted with when both were at PSG before the former moved to Juventus on loan for the 2022-23 season. Set to return to the French capital, Paredes has revealed that he is baffled as to why the Parisians had treated both of them so poorly.

Lionel Messi generously gifted his World Cup-winning teammate one of his individual honors

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ā€œI don’t know, I had to spend four years in Paris and I enjoyed it a lot. We played important things, we were very close to winning the Champions League, but afterward, I can’t explain why the treatment and reaction towards usā€œ, he told TyC Sports.

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