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PSG club president explains why Lionel Messi struggled at the club

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Lionel Messi’s time at PSG was less than ideal.

The Argentine joined the French giants in 2021 after 17 years with Barcelona. The World Cup winner would subsequently join Inter Miami in 2023, leading them to the Leagues Cup title in the summer.

However, joy has been present in Messi’s life since he landed in South Florida, and his time in Paris still follows him to this day.

In an interview with RMC Sport, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi had some choice words to say about the man from Rosario.

PSG president speaks about Messi’s time at the club

Lionel Messi left Paris Saint Germain
Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

“He’s not a bad guy but I don’t like it,” he stated.

“I’ll say, not just for him but for everyone, we talk when we’re there, not when we’re gone. That’s not our style… I have great respect for him [Messi] but if someone wants to speak badly about Paris Saint-Germain afterwards, that’s not good.

Al-Khelaifi went on to also discuss why the club didn’t celebrate his World Cup win.

“If anyone talks about the fact that we didn’t celebrate him enough after he won the World Cup, we’re in France and he won against [France and PSG player Mbappe.]”

“We are a French club. I don’t want the whole stadium to be against him either.”

Furthermore, the president also explained why Messi found it difficult in France.

TOPSHOT-FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-REIMS-PSG
Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

“I’m going to say one thing about Messi, the best player in the world and the best player in history, “It was not easy for him to come here after Barcelona, he said.

“There [in Barcelona], everything was for Messi: the players, the coaches, and the management. He comes here and it’s not the same thing, we also have other players, we have Kylian and also Neymar.”

Ultimately, though it didn’t work out in Paris, Messi appeared to have found happiness in Miami.

Living in a Latin-heavy city, and surrounded by ex-teammates is a complete 180 to his situation in France.

Follow Alex Windley on X and subscribe to her Substack The Heron’s Nest for more Inter Miami analysis.