Global Courant
There was no way it could go unnoticed. Firstly because he is the best footballer in history and secondly because he is France. The darts that Lionel Messi launched for Paris Saint Germain in the interview with Migue Granados last Thursday had an immediate impact on the Paris team, which responded neither more nor less than through its Qatari president Nasser Al Khelaifi to the claim that he was the only footballer to be from the Argentine national team, who did not receive recognition in his club for the World Cup title in Qatar 2022.
In statements to a group of local media published this Sunday, the Paris leader also downplayed Leo Messi’s dissatisfaction with his stay in Paris, assuring that the Argentine, the favorite to win his eighth Ballon d’Or is: “He was and still is an incredible player.”
“We celebrated him in training (as soon as he returned from Qatar), also privately, but it was delicate to do anything in the stadium. We must respect the country he defeated (France) and his fellow players in the selection and to our fans,” he concluded.
What did Messi say? Leo recalled his two-year stay in Paris, where he failed to achieve important goals at the club, while with the Argentine national team he finally reached the competition he had always dreamed of: the World Cup and victory in the final against none other than France.
“My time in Paris didn’t go as I expected. But I always say that things happen for a reason: I wasn’t good there and I had to become world champion,” said Leo, a diplomat at the start.
And in the end, encouraged by Migue’s gestures, Messi let go: “I was the only Argentine player who didn’t receive any recognition from his club, apart from the other 25 players, but nothing happens.”
There was also no awkwardness when it came to the question of what it meant to reunite with Kylian Mbappé as team-mates after they played against each other in the final in Qatar. “The truth is that I feel comfortable with him and everyone,” Leo said.
Photo: EFE/EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
And trying not to get out of line, he added: “It was understandable that we had won the final there and why they (France) didn’t become champions again.”
Ballon d’Or for Mbappé and the arrival of Luis Enrique
Al-Khelaifi also spoke about the situation of Kylian Mbappé, for whom he applied for the Ballon d’Or this year and with whom he admitted to having had “problems” that were resolved internally, without giving further details.
“We have the best player in the world (Mbappé) and in my opinion he deserves the Ballon d’Or (…) The problems we had stayed in the family and Kylian is part of that family. I’m proud of what he’s doing and what the whole team is doing,” he said shortly before PSG took on Olympique de Marseille in a French league classic.
Photo: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
The Paris president did not provide any information on whether the player will extend his contract, which expires in 2024. Refusal to do so was the reason for the penalty imposed on him by the club, which kept him out of the main group for three weeks of the pre-season.
Referring to the Spaniard Luis Enrique, the umpteenth coach of the Qatar era at PSG (since 2011), he affirmed that he was “building a team that really plays as such” and set the goal of creating the conditions for this to ensure that “the players have the joy of playing.” “.
