The bitter end of the superstar: PSG made a fool of themselves, Messi was whistled at

The bitter end of the superstar
PSG make a fool of themselves, Messi is whistled at

6/4/2023 6:21 am

A last game couldn’t be more bitter: Lionel Messi was whistled at by his own fans at his farewell performance in Paris. In addition, the Argentinian’s last appearance in the jersey of the French champions also failed miserably.

A few whistles to say goodbye – and an embarrassing defeat: Lionel Messi and Paris St. Germain have ended their shared history with a significant chapter. At the last appearance in the Prinzenpark on Saturday, the world champion was not booed for the first time, in the end it was 2: 3 (2: 2) against outsiders Clermont Foot. PSG had previously been the champions. The goals for Paris were scored by Sergio Ramos (16th) in his last game for the club and Kylian Mbappe (21st, penalty kick). Johan Gastien (24′), Mehdi Zeffane (45’+1′) and Grejohn Kyei (63′) turned the game around.

But some personal details were more important than the result on Saturday. Coach Christophe Galtier had already announced Messi’s farewell during the week, and the club made it official shortly before the game. Before Messi’s 75th appearance for PSG, there were whistles for the Argentine when the line-up was read out. Farewell to Ramos was much friendlier, but the focus was on Sergio Rico.

The reserve goalkeeper suffered a traumatic brain injury in a riding accident last weekend and is in serious condition. On Saturday, the PSG pros wore his name on their backs, in the curve the ultras pulled up his jersey in large format.

Off to Saudi Arabia?

In view of this, Messi’s departure was almost a minor matter. In the summer of 2021, after 21 years, he said goodbye to FC Barcelona in tears, only days later he was received in Paris with a great deal of noise. He wanted to “win the Champions League again,” he said at the time – he didn’t succeed and that was one of the problems during his time at PSG.

In 75 competitive games, Messi scored 32 goals and was twice French champion. But he always seemed apathetic, only showed his brilliant moments occasionally – and just couldn’t fulfill the dream of triumphing in the premier class. The 35-year-old is now probably drawn to Saudi Arabia. A return to FC Barcelona is ruled out for financial reasons, and Inter Miami is also interested.