Lionel Messi has been criticized by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi for “lack of respect” towards the club.
As the summer of 2021 progressed, Camp Nou’s inability to pay Lionel Messi a new contract became painfully clear. Given the option of joining Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, the Argentine said an emotional farewell to the Catalan giants.
But the 36-year-old’s French adventure didn’t go as planned; At one point, even fans of his own club began booing him. Messi did not like his time with the Parisians, even though he won many trophies playing at the Parc des Princes.
In retrospect, the attacker has spoken of his time at PSG in a very uncomplimentary way. He has made it clear that playing in France was never among his long-term professional goals.
“As I said at the time, my departure to Paris was not something I wanted. It was not something that I wanted to leave Barcelona and, so to speak, it happened from one day to the next,” she said back in August.
“And, well, I also had to get used to a totally different place from where I had lived all my life, both at the city level and at the sporting level. It was difficult, but the complete opposite of what is happening to me here now. [in Miami].”
What did Nasser Al-Khelaifi say about Messi?
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, has now responded about the player and the tangled history between both parties. He clarified his belief that the player had disrespected the club following his departure.
Addressing RMC Sport, Al-Khelaifi stated: “He’s not a bad guy, but I don’t like him. I will say, not just for him but for everyone, we talk when we’re there, not when we’re not there. That’s not our style. … I have great respect for him, but if someone later wants to speak badly of Paris Saint-Germain, he is not good. “That’s not respect.”
“I’m going to say one thing about Messi, the best player in the world and the best player in history,” he said. “It wasn’t easy for him to come here… After Barcelona. There [in Barcelona], everything was for Messi: the players, the coaches and the management. “He comes here and it is not the same, we also have other players, we have Kylian and also Neymar.”
How has Messi fared after leaving PSG?
In 75 games with the red and blue, Lionel Messi scored 32 goals and assisted 35 times. While he managed to win two Ligue 1 championships, he failed to take home the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy.
After an impressive career in Europe during which he won four UEFA Champions League championships, he decided to end it with the French team. Inter Miami signed the veteran on a free transfer during the summer.
Since then, the Argentine star has flourished in Major League Soccer. His decades of experience were instrumental in the Herons’ victory in the 2023 League Cup, his first trophy.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
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