Lionel Messi revealed that he and his family faced difficulties adjusting to life in Paris St Germain after his transfer in 2021. He also mentioned that both his teammates Kylian Mbappe and Neymar had to deal with negative reactions from the crowd towards the end of their time at the club.
The renowned Argentine player chose not to extend his contract with PSG after a two-year period. On June 7th, he revealed his decision to join Inter Miami in the MLS, which left some fans unsatisfied with his performance.
Messi scored 32 goals and provided 35 assists during his time with the French champions. However, his relationship with the fans soured when he was unable to lead the team past the round of 16 in the Champions League.
“My stay in Paris started with a very difficult adaptation, much more than I expected, even though I had people I knew in the dressing room.”
“It was difficult to adapt, the change, arriving late, not having a pre-season, adapting to the new club, the new way of playing, new teammates, the city… It wasn’t easy for me or for my family,” he told BeIN Sports.
The welcome was “very nice,” he said.
“And then people started to treat me differently, a part of the Paris fans started to treat me differently.”
“There was a rift with a big part of the Paris fans, it was not my intention, far from it, it happened like that. It had happened before with Mbappe and Neymar and I know that’s their way of doing things.”
“I will remember all the people who respect me, as I have always respected everyone since I arrived, and that’s all, it’s an anecdote.”
Messi, who achieved two league championships and a French Super Cup with PSG, faced significant backlash in Paris when he received a suspension from the club due to an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
Amidst widespread speculation connecting Messi to a potential return to Barcelona, the world champion is anticipated to have his first appearance for Miami on July 21st in a Leagues Cup match against Mexican team Cruz Azul.
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