Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi recently expressed his disappointment over Lionel Messi’s comments following his departure from the French club.
Messi, who left PSG in 2023 to join Inter Miami on a free transfer, revealed that he felt hurt by the club’s lack of recognition after Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar. Al-Khelaifi, however, has responded by defending the club’s position, suggesting that the situation was more complex than it appeared.
In an interview, as quoted by Sportskeeda, Al-Khelaifi shared his thoughts on Messi’s remarks, stating, “He’s not a bad guy, but I don’t like it. 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. That’s not respect.”
Also Read: Emotional Cristiano Ronaldo dedicates AFC Champions League goal to late father on his birthday
PSG’s stance on Lionel Messi’s lack of recognition
Al-Khelaifi emphasized that the club’s decision not to celebrate Messi’s World Cup win was influenced by the fact that Argentina had defeated France, and specifically PSG star Kylian Mbappé, in the final. He noted that as a French club, celebrating Argentina’s victory would have been inappropriate.
“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 star] Kylian [Mbappé]. We are a French club. I don’t want the whole stadium to be against him either,” Al-Khelaifi explained.
Additionally, Al-Khelaifi acknowledged the challenges Messi faced after leaving Barcelona, where everything was structured around him.
“It was not easy for him to come here… After Barcelona. 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,” he added.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, expressed his disappointment about the situation during an interview.
“It was understandable. I was in the place where we had won the final and it was our fault that France hadn’t won the World Cup this time. I was the only player who didn’t get recognition, apart from my 25 other players, but that’s OK,” Messi said.
