Stand: 4:25 p.m.
A new star is in town – Lionel Messi in Paris
What: REUTERS
It’s perfect: Lionel Messi is moving from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. In the afternoon, the world star landed in the French capital. The enthusiasm knew no bounds.
NNot even 48 hours after tearing farewell to FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi has finally put football France into ecstasy. The 34-year-old Argentine reached an agreement with the Paris Saint-Germain bosses early Tuesday.
In the afternoon he flew with his wife and children to Paris, where there was a real state of emergency. Thousands of people populated the airport. Messi showed up in a Paris t-shirt soon after landing and waved into the crowd. In the meantime, well over 100,000 people had followed his flight on the Internet portal flightradar24.com.
Barcelona Airport: Messi family is leaving
What: REUTERS
In a 13-second spot that PSG published on social networks and on its homepage on Tuesday afternoon, the coat of arms of Messi’s birthplace, Rosario, appeared. In addition, there were six balls in a graphic – three on the left, three on the right – from the Eiffel Tower; Messi is a six-time world footballer. Another mini-sequence showed the jerseys from Neymar with the number 10 hung on a hook in the dressing room and from Kylian Mbappé with the number 7. A jersey is missing in the middle, but PSG wrote: “New diamond in Paris.”
Messi is said to be signing a two-year deal. This should include an option for another season together. Messi would then be 37 years old at the end of June 2024.
Crowds at the Paris airport
Source: AFP / SAMEER AL-DOUMY
According to “L’Équipe”, he should do the medical check in Paris on Tuesday and sign the contract. On Wednesday Messi, who played for 21 years at FC Barcelona, won 35 titles there and matured to become a six-time world footballer, will be presented at a press conference.
Paris airport becomes Woodstock
It remains to be seen whether and when the Eiffel Tower will shine in the appropriate colors – as was the case with his kicker buddy Neymar, who also moved from FC Barcelona to Paris four years ago – in honor of the exceptional player. As early as Sunday, hundreds of fans were waiting in front of an airport near the capital. It went on like this on Monday. “Le Bourget Airport, twelve kilometers from the center of Paris, has become a kind of Woodstock,” wrote the Argentine sports newspaper “Olé”.
There and in front of the Parc des Princes, after the news that the football world has been expecting for the past two days, the PSG fans should be shouting “Meeessi, Meeessi, Meeessi” waiting for the South American.
It’s here – fans celebrate Messi’s arrival
What: REUTERS
His father and the lawyers had been negotiating with PSG since Friday. The evening before it had become known that there would be no continuation of the Messi era at FC Barcelona. Many clubs then reported that PSG was an option, Messi then emphasized at his press conference in Barcelona on Sunday, speaking of the “most difficult chapter” of his career.
“I am excited and happy”
He had to leave FC Barcelona, which he joined when he was 13, even though both sides wanted to continue working together. The statutes of the financial fair play of the Spanish league did not allow it, however, the club is highly indebted with almost 490 million euros. Even giving up half of his lavish salary did not resolve the conflict. In Paris, according to various media reports before the agreement, Messi will receive 40 million euros net a year plus bonuses.
At PSG, Messi will play with the German national player Thilo Kehrer and ex-world champion Julian Draxler, among others. The team of the Argentine trainer Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be the best the football club world has to offer in terms of its name alone: In addition to the Brazilian Neymar, world champion Kylian Mbappé from France, the two Italian European champions Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti as well as play there the former Real icon Sergio Ramos.
“As much as I appreciate all the players who play at Paris Saint-Germain,” said Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn shortly before the agreement between Messi and PSG became known, “it will have to be seen whether this is also a team, a team is whether everything fits together. “
Messi’s new teammates couldn’t wait any longer. “He’s the best in the world,” said European champion goalkeeper Donnarumma Sky Sport Italia also before the headlines about the breach of contract: “I’m excited and happy when I think about having him on the team.”
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