Lionel Messi has reflected on his fractious relationship with PSG fans

Lionel Messi’s (36) time at Paris Saint-Germain was tumultuous, particularly in regard to his relationship with the fans, who booed him at the end of both his seasons in the French capital. La Pulga has now left Les Parisiens to join MLS side Inter Miami. 

In an interview with BeIn Sports, Messi spoke about his arrival in Paris, his particular relationship with the fans and how he adapted to life in the French capital.

He starts by saying that he joined Paris because he “liked the club” and that he had “many friends already there”, whether that be from international duty or from previous experiences. “It seemed to me it would be easier to adapt there than in other places”. However, the Argentine underlines that it was a “difficult adaptation.”

“[It was] harder than I imagined, even if I knew some people in the dressing room (…) it was hard to adapt to this change”. As well as it being a new environment, he underlines the fact that he “arrived late, I had no pre-season preparation.”

As mentioned in his interview in early June, during which he announced his departure, Messi talks about his family’s difficult adaptation to a new country and a new city. In that interview, he said that he had two “very difficult years”.

However, while the teaser video shows how he enjoyed the fans “at the start” and that he “received a lot of support”, things turned over time, with part of the Paris public treating him differently. “A majority treated me well at the start, but there was a fracture with a significant section of the Parisian public”, he adds. These are things that have happened with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé in the past he underlines: “It’s their way of doing things”.

As he leaves, Messi wants to “keep the memory of all the people have supported him, like it was at the start”. “Nothing else, the rest is anecdotal”, he adds, ahead of the release of the full interview.

GFFN | Tom Abadie