Lionel Messi at PSG: Mbappe shines at the coronation – sport

The city of Reims is 150 kilometers from the gates of Paris, and it is, oh subtle irony of the races of the world, a special place in the history of France. Many a king was crowned in the cathedral there; last time almost 200 years ago, when the Bourbon Charles X on Louis XVIII. followed. Of course, the Herald’s formula was also used at that time, which in its translation has long since passed into global usage: “Le roi est mort, vive le roi!” The king is dead, long live the king! Oh fine irony? Oh yeah. Because on Sunday it happened that the probably greatest active monarch of football, the six-time world footballer Lionel Messi, was part of a globally recognized coronation fair in the Auguste-Delaune stadium, home of the Stade Reims club.

Less than three weeks after leaving Barcelona, ​​which he mourned like one would mourn an escape into exile, Messi made his debut on matchday four of the French league for his new club Paris Saint-Germain. Or: for the first time in his life, in a league match, he wore a different jersey from that of FC Barcelona, ​​which he had belonged to since the beginning of the century. Oh yes, by the way: PSG won, as was to be expected, 2-0.

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And the ironic turns? For example: That of course it was not Messi who was raised to a new stand, but France’s often ridiculed league. Through him and with him and in him she experiences an unexpected increase in meaning. Whereby, the evening offered at least a rudimentary occasion to coin the old heraldic formula (“Long live the King!”) On the French international Kylian Mbappé, who is really a potential new king of football. Now Messi, 34, is demonstrably in the best of health. However, Mbappé contributed the two goals to PSG’s victory when Messi was still on the bench, chatting animatedly with his Argentinian compatriot Leandro Paredes and the Spaniard Ander Herrera (16./63.).

But the news stayed with Messi: “I’m happy about this first appearance because it is also important for Messi to start with a win in a new shirt,” said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino. “Messi has a history, a career, an energy and a personality that is contagious. His optimism, his energy, his adaptability, his way of being with others this week affects the whole team,” added the Argentine .

The statisticians noted that Messi did not uncork any sparkling wine bottles in Champagne: he did not score a goal after coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute, nor did he prepare one, but he touched the ball 26 times and made 20 of 21 passes to one of his new playmates , dribbled well and was fouled three times. Among other things. Which sounds pretty sober when you look at what was going on around him: all the spectators in Reims rose from their seats as he stepped onto the lawn and – as Pochettino should also say – his new team “calmed down with the first ball touches let “.

Not everyone in Madrid likes Mbappé’s performance

The fact that Messi came on for his friend Neymar Junior, who is considered a kind of revenant of Pelé, known as “O Rei” – the king, in his Brazilian homeland, could serve as good evidence that those responsible at PSG first of all have a special sense for Have a sense of humor and, secondly, wanted to point out developments in the transfer market. Because: The replacement of the Brazilian prevented a photo that would have gone around the world: Messi, Neymar and Mbappé – PSG’s new three kings – in the same jersey on the same lawn.

Mbappé is known to have been swarmed by Real Madrid for some time, the Spanish record champions have increased an offer from 160 million euros to a total of 180 million euros. The heralds of the “royal” assert that Madrid has given the Emir of Qatar an ultimatum: The offer for Mbappé expires on Monday at 6 p.m. sharp. As the last few days and weeks have shown, a lot can happen in football. But the fact that Qatari owners of PSG can refrain from letting three of the most exciting tenors in the sport perform together in PSG shirts seems unimaginable.

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Mbappé, on the other hand, played like he was fully focused on PSG. Not only that: he celebrated his two goals with an enthusiasm that could hardly be surpassed, and that was angry at Madrid. What was best seen in the fact that a certain Josep Pedrerol, who mutated a long time ago into a journalist actor because he likes to play the ventriloquist dummy of Real Madrid boss Florentino Pérez, was foaming in his TV studio in Madrid.

“Mbappé!” He monologized on Tuesday night: “How do you come up with the game of your life today? 18 hours before your club’s answer to Real Madrid? How do you come up with the perfect night ‘Perfect night’ – that’s what you published on your social networks !? Why did you celebrate your goal with such relish? Don’t you know that many madridistas closely follow what you are doing? That they know what tremendous efforts you made when you repeatedly turned down the opportunity to renew your contract (with PSG); that you did everything to play for Real Madrid? And then you go – and do your big game on the eve of PSG’s answer? Even though you know that your club will charge you 250 or 300 million euros ??? “, Pedrerol asked.

In Paris they seem relaxed. It is known “that the football industry is always full of rumors,” said PSG coach Pochettino. But the fact is: “Mbappé is our player. Our president (Nasser Al-Khelaifi) and (manager) Leonardo were very clear. He is with us. And I am very satisfied with him, he is one of the best players in the world.” But the best, Pochettino said in the run-up to the game, remains Messi. and this is also evident in the group of colleagues. When the coronation mass was sung, Messi – neither Neymar nor Mbappé – was chased by Reims goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic. The 25-year-old goalkeeper from Serbia presented him with his own son for a souvenir photo of an evening that actually established a new reign in France.