Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and while the Argentine is now gone and continuing his career with Inter Miami, one journalist is defending the Parisians’ decision to sign the former FC Barcelona star.
There were high hopes when Messi joined the Parisians on a two-year contract as a critical part of the club’s hopes of winning the UEFA Champions League. However, that wouldn’t happen, as PSG crashed out with Messi in the Round of 16.
Despite the lack of success at the international level, France Football’s Florent Torchut believes that the signing had the potential to replicate Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suárez’s success with Barcelona.
“Some criticized Messi’s signing, but for me, it was primarily about sport,” Torchut told SPORT (h/t Le10Sport). “Associating him with Neymar and Mbappé made me think of Barcelona’s MSN era—the environment, the club, and the supporters.
“He needs to feel loved, cared for, and comfortable in the club, in the city. You could see that he wasn’t doing well, especially in the first season. During the second season, he found his footing, feeling more comfortable with his family.”
After losing to Bayern Munich last year, Messi’s relationship with PSG supporters soured. Fans protested the Argentine and Neymar, wanting the club to take a different direction with its transfer policy.
The Ligue 1 side is steering away from the superstar era and shifting toward young talent eager to prove itself, so we’ll see if this works out for them.
