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Hurt by the World Cup, PSG Didn’t Protect Lionel Messi From Fans’ Backlash in Paris Due to 1 Big Reason, Revealed by Former Teammate

Published 03/22/2024, 12:45 PM EDT

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While playing for PSG is a dream for many soccer players, Lionel Messi‘s stint with the side was somewhat of a nightmare! While this may seem like a harsh take for many, La Pulga arguably endured two of the toughest seasons of his career with the Parisian side. During his time at the club, the Argentine superstar endured boos from his home fans. Former PSG star Javier Pastore made a massive admission during a recent interview, revealing a surprising reason behind PSG’s lack of support for their star player.

Things got rough for Lionel Messi during his second season at the club. Following Argentina’s World Cup triumph over France, PSG supporters were not too happy with their star player, with Messi being booed at the Parc de France by P’SG fans during his World Cup trophy presentation. Pastore, in a recent interview with LaNacion, talked about the club’s reasoning behind their lack of weight behind the Argentine.

The ex-PSG star stated, “That uncomfortable situation was caused more by the Frenchman than by the club. Looking at it from the outside, the club tried to protect itself because the club is still there and will continue to be there. And people are going to continue going to the field to see their club.”

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He then added, “A club is never going to take the player’s side. Never, because they have many more things behind them than a single player. Even if we are talking about the best in the world. But the Frenchman was very hurt by the World Cup, and by a lot of things, and they would not forgive him for even a wrong pass. They felt spite.”

Pastore’s take is understandable considering PSG has always stood by its ultras. The Parisian fans have always been very vocal while voicing their feelings, and Lionel Messi is not the only player who has received the same treatment from the club’s fans. PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi also gave his take on Messi’s exit, claiming no player is bigger than the club.

Nasser Al Khelaifi gives his take on Lionel Messi’s PSG exit

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The PSG president commented on Lionel Messi’s time at the club following his departure to Inter Miami. While Al Khelaifi lauded the Argentine as the best player in the world, he claimed the Argentine failed to replicate the same success at Paris because FC Barcelona was a team built around Messi, but PSG did not believe in catering to a single player. This seems somewhat hypocritical of the PSG president, considering his club has always tried to cater to Kylian Mbappe!

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Al Khelifi then bashed La Pulga, claiming that the Argentine did not respect the club following his departure. This came days after Messi’s scathing interview, where he blasted his time at the club, describing it as the hardest time of his career. The Paris Saint-Germain boss was not too pleased with the interview, claiming Messi should have talked about his worries during his time at the club.

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All in all, this seemed pretty salted from Al Khelaifi after his club failed to stand behind the biggest player in the world, despite being booed by his club fans.

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Written by:

Saurabh Saket

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Saurabh Saket is a Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. He is a passionate Borussia Dortmund fan despite them not lifting the league title in the last twelve years. This writing machine wants to make a difference with his proficiency in journalism.
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Edited by:

Riya Singhal