FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Ligue 1 – Paris St Germain v Clermont – Parc de Princes, Paris, France – June 3, 2023 Paris St Germain’s Lionel Messi REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
Lionel Messi has described his debut at former club Paris Saint-Germain as “very difficult”, calling two successive failed Champions League attempts a “massive disappointment”.
“I came to Paris because I liked the club, because I had friends in the locker room… it seemed easier for me to adapt rather than another destination where I could have gone “, Messi told beIN Sports in an interview that aired on Sunday.
“In reality, it was a very difficult adaptation, much more difficult than I expected…with a new game plan, new teammates, a new city.
“I arrived late, I didn’t have a pre-season. The beginning was difficult for me, my family.
Messi, 36, signed for PSG in the summer of 2021 after 17 seasons at Barcelona but will now head to the United States for Inter Miami in MLS after leaving the French capital.
Messi’s first season, in which he scored 11 goals in 34 games for PSG, was made more difficult after he contracted Covid during the winter break in Argentina, meaning he was suspended. gap for a month.
“It took me a while to get my fitness back,” he admitted, adding that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – which Messi won with Argentina – also took its toll.
“It’s not an excuse but the World Cup played a big role. Some came back later than others, some were injured, like Neymar.
“I think in general the level of Ligue 1 and the Champions League has been affected by the World Cup.”
Messi admitted Champions League defeats to Real Madrid in 2022 and Bayern Munich this season were a ‘huge disappointment’.
There were even sections of PSG fans who turned on Messi, whistling at him from the stands.
“At first it was great, I received a lot of encouragement… but later, part of the Parisian fanbase treated me differently. The majority treated me well, but there was a break with part of the public,” he admitted.
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