When Lionel Messi arrived from FC Barcelona this past summer, the 34-year-old was supposed to be that final piece to the puzzle to push Paris Saint-Germain toward winning the UEFA Champions League.
Over the past couple of seasons, the capital club has knocked on the door to win the competition. They have reached the final in 2020 and the semifinals in 2021, so Les Parisiens viewed the Argentine as someone that could get them over the hump.
However, Messi’s tenure in the French capital hasn’t gone as planned. He has struggled in the goal-scoring department when it comes to adjusting to Ligue 1. Also, the forward didn’t factor much in PSG’s elimination by Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
As a result, Messi was booed by PSG supporters at the Parc des Princes, leading to much debate over that treatment. In an interview with Super Deportivo Radio (via Marca), Argentine football legend Mario Kempes stated that he doesn’t see the former Barcelona star lasting much longer with the French giants.
“I don’t know if Barcelona will welcome him with open arms because he left in a way that no one expected, and now he would return in a way that no one expects. It’s complicated,” Kempes said. “If Messi is tired at PSG, he will have to resolve his situation and see what he wants to do with his future.”
Furthermore, Kempes went on to say that the French giants aren’t Barcelona. With the Spanish club, Messi was a king; meanwhile, in Paris, the Argentine doesn’t seem happy, according to the former player.
“PSG are not Barcelona. At Barcelona, he was the king. At PSG, he is not as happy as he was when he was at Barcelona,” Kempes continued.
“He is still the king of the world, but the results are not happening, and that affects him, no matter how much he smiles at any moment. I don’t think Messi will last that long at PSG if things continue as they are now.”
