Lionel Messi is undoubtedly a living football legend. At 37, he made history with his incredible control of the ball and his inimitable dribbling. Crowned Ballon d”Or four times, he also led Argentina to victory
during the 2022 World Cup, of the Copa América, as well as many other competitions with FC Barcelona. If his career is already a fairy tale, his time at Paris Saint-Germain was more mixed. Arriving in Paris in 2021, Lionel Messi took the plunge after more than 20 years spent in Barcelona. An unprecedented departure for someone who had always evolved under the Spanish sun. But this move to France did not was not as simple as it seems. Even though the Parisian club attracted a real phenomenon, his experience in Paris turned out to be much more complex than expected.
Lionel Messi confides: a look back at his two complicated years at PSG
In an interview in 2023 with his equipment supplier Adidas, Lionel Messi did not hesitate to speak frankly about the difficulties encountered during his two seasons at PSG. “The truth is that it was a very difficult adaptation, much more than I expected”he confided. For a player accustomed to the Catalan atmosphere and culture, changing country, city, club and even the way of playing was a real shock. “Despite having people I knew in the locker room and a relationship with them,
it was difficult to adapt to the new change, to arrive late and not have a pre-season. “. The difficulties were not only professional.
The world champion had to adapt to a new family life in Paris, which, in his own words, “was very difficult for [lui] and all [sa] family “. A big upheaval for someone who, in Barcelona, was a familiar and well-integrated figure. In Paris, the change was harsher, and the adaptation to a new pace of life, a new way of playing, and new teammates was not as immediate as he would have liked.
The footballer's mixed Parisian memory and a difficult adaptation
Although he had a promising start, Lionel Messi did not always have the reception he hoped for from Parisian supporters. After the first rather warm moments, the Argentinian seen the situation deteriorate. “I think from the beginning it was something very pleasant, like the welcome, which I have said several times”he explains. But subsequently, a certain distance set in. “Then people started treating me differently. There was a disconnect with a large part of the Parisian supporters, which was not
obviously not my intention, far from it. “.
Lionel Messi refers here to a certain tension that has built up around him.
He adds with a touch of fatalism: “It happened like that, as it had already happened with Mbappé and Neymar. ». Of course, Lionel Messi retains enormous recognition towards a part of the public, who continues to appreciate him for what he is: a living football legend. Another detail which disturbed the man who admitted to having injected himself at a younger age during his visit to Paris: the famous number 10. Used to wearing this emblematic number, whether in Barcelona or with the Argentine selection, Lionel Messi has had to make an exception at PSG. When he arrived, it was Neymar, his teammate and friend, who wore this number…
Lionel Messi at PSG: Number 30 and a complex relationship with supporters
Lionel Messi, in a gesture of respect, decided to do not claim your lucky number and opted for number 30. A choice that was not made without emotion. “When I was in Paris, I didn't have number 10. I was always used to wearing it. And even though it wasn't something serious on paper, I missed it a little not to wear “my number””, he explains. Even if he managed to get used to this number 30, symbolic for him since he wore it during his professional debut, Lionel Messi admits that it was not as easy as he had imagined. . Perhaps, according to him, this little detail played a role at the end of his visit to Paris. He even wonders if the situation would have been different if the number 10 had been assigned to him.
But deep down, Messi seems to have found peace with this decision: “I eventually got used to wearing the number 30, which was also special to me given that I started my career with that number. “. Either way, Lionel Messi keeps Paris a mixed memory,
with adaptation difficulties and a sometimes tense relationship with supporters. But beyond the challenges, he can congratulate himself on having marked the history of PSG, even if the Champions League escaped him.
