DBasia.news – Just before the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes last season, something surprising happened.
Lionel Messi’s name was cheered and reviled when the line-up was read out by the stadium announcer.
Lionel Messi, the best player ever, the GOAT. Yes, that Lionel Messi, was reviled by his own fans.
PSG fans didn’t just criticize Messi. Neymar was also became a victim, even after scoring the second goal in a 3-0 win.
For disgruntled supporters, the Brazilian star is a symbol of PSG’s demise, poster boy of the bosses in Qatar.
At that time the French capital club was moving smoothly towards the Ligue 1 title, but again they became the clowns of Europe after being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, after yet another shocking mess, which such an expensive squad should not have experienced.
Adding the figure of Messi to an attack that has been strengthened by Neymar and Kylian Mbappe should result in the first Champions League trophy, instead, PSG have once again become the Tottenham Hotspur of Europe, always failing to live up to expectations.
The fans don’t think Messi is the root of PSG’s problems, but they see him as part of the problem.
It is clear that Messi has not been at the peak of his form against Madrid. There are no charming chatter or spoiled baits. However, what annoyed PSG fans was his movement, which seemed to be absent.
Former PSG midfielder Jerome Rothen lashed out at RMC: “He’s walking around the pitch, Luka Modric pocketed it!”
“I’m afraid to label Messi as a fake player, but it’s true.”
Rothen’s words may sound blasphemous, but the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner did have a bad time last season.
He was only able to score one Ligue 1 goal before the new year, and when the season finished he could only score six. The last time Messi scored so few goals was in the 2005/06 season, when Messi was still an 18-year-old player who had just entered the Barcelona first team.
Messi appears to be done. But in reality, he was just tired. Physical and emotional exhaustion.
First of all, the summer of 2021 drained Messi’s soul. After the triumph in the Copa America with Argentina, came the misery of having to leave Barcelona. They both were emotional, but for two very different reasons.
The international triumph was a relief, the loss of the burden Messi has carried for years. There was joy as he collapsed in the Maracana grass on the evening of July 10, 2021, but what was clear: relief.
The feeling of a happy ending. His departure from Barcelona ruined all that.
At that time, when tears started to flow, Messi appeared devastated, shocked, in disbelief.
As Luis Suarez said of his best friend and former team-mate, “Leo suffered a lot. I’ve never seen Messi cry like I saw him cry [at his last press conference] in Barcelona. He was hurt.”
Moreover, with how everything happened so fast, Messi was in a daze.
His transfer to Paris Saint-Germain was formalized just two days after bidding farewell to Camp Nou, barely any time to soak up his farewell to Barcelona, which had been his home for two decades, before trying to start a new life in a new city, a new country.
So it’s not surprising at all when Messi needs time to adapt in Paris.
House hunting might be fun for a billionaire like him, but it turned out to be taking longer than he and his partner, Antonella Roccuzzo, thought.
As a result, Messi’s family had to stay in a hotel for six weeks, and that wasn’t fun at all, no matter how luxurious the amenities were.
“The kids can’t stand it anymore,” Messi admitted to Le Figaro.
Messi’s debut was also delayed. As expected, he still hasn’t had a full rest from his struggles with Argentina, so he had to miss PSG’s first two games of the season.
He was still catching up when he suffered a minor leg injury. Then, the international break came. At the end of October, Messi still wasn’t able to be consistent.
There were occasional sparks of his genius in the familiar environment of the Champions League, especially against Manchester City, but adapting to Ligue 1 turned out to be a source of trouble.
“In Spain, all the teams try to play more and they keep the ball away from you if you don’t press well,” Messi explained to Sport.
“Ligue 1 is a more physical league, where the games are more intense, where there is a lot of back and forth regarding dominance. The players are fast and strong. Physically, a lot has changed.”
And it appears that Messi has been hampered by a series of minor injuries. Obviously something to do with the fact that he didn’t do any pre-season preparations.
There was an improvement in his game in the second half of last season but PSG’s turbulent season ended in bitterness. They may have held the Ligue 1 title, but PSG lost the support of their supporters.
It was clear that there had to be a major change and Messi was one of the beneficiaries of it.
The decision to eject Leonardo from the position of sporting director has long been a demand of fans, who feel that the Brazilian is not only responsible for the bad signings, but also for the diva culture at PSG.
Mauricio Pochettino may be considered to be disadvantaged by Leonardo’s transfer policy, but it is undeniable that the Argentine coach was unable to maximize the squad he has, so his dismissal was also inevitable.
Appointing Christophe Galtier has so far been seen as a wise decision, with PSG still unbeaten in all competitions.
Moreover, the former Nice coach already has a good relationship with Messi. The two chat regularly every day about La Pulga’s fitness, position, and match plans for potential opponents.
Messi surprised Galtier and his coaching staff with his tactical understanding, but they were arguably even more surprised by the veteran superstar’s approach to the season.
There is a fear that arises in the transfer market, that the departure of two of Messi’s best friends, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes, will make the player who is known to be an introvert even more introverted.
However, Messi returned to PSG with a completely different mindset. He was determined to leave an impact on the pitch.
“My physique feels good because I was able to undergo a great pre-season this year,” Messi told Star+.
“It was important to start the season differently. But I also arrived with a different mentality and very enthusiastic.