Lionel Messi has opened up on his difficulty to adapt to playing with Paris Saint-Germain ahead of his move to Inter Miami.
The World Cup winner confirmed his decision to join the MLS club earlier this month after two tumultuous seasons with the French club.
The Argentine superstar made the move to PSG in 2021 after 21 years with his boyhood club Barcelona.
He won two league titles during his time in the French capital, scoring 21 goals and recording 20 assists in all competitions over the past season, but he struggled to acclimatize to playing in France initially.
Messi’s stint with PSG has come to an end as his contract with the French champions set to expire on June 30 and after his exit, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has now admitted the move was more of a challenge than he expected.
Lionel Messi has opened up on his difficulty to adapt to life with Paris Saint-Germain
The Argentine star made the move to PSG in 2021 after 21 years with boyhood club Barcelona
‘The truth is, it was a very difficult adaptation, much more than I expected,’ Messi told beIN, via CNN.
‘Despite having people I knew in the locker room and having a relationship with them, it was difficult to adapt to the new change, arriving late and not having a pre-season.
‘Well, adapting to the new club, to a new way of playing, to my new teammates, to the city at first was very difficult for me and my whole family.’
His relationship with the club and its supporters became fructuous towards the end of his spell after he failed to deliver Champions League success and was suspended for an unauthorized trip.
Messi was suspended by PSG for two weeks after making the trip to Saudi Arabia in May without the club’s permission.
The World Cup winner had pre-arranged the visit for one of his commercial commitments as ambassador for tourism there.
A couple of days later, fans gathered outside the club headquarters to chant for the PSG board to resign, while they also called for Messi to leave the club, with the Argentinian also receiving jeers from supporters at recent matches.
And with his deal with PSG expiring on June 30, his stint with the club and its fans has come to an acrimonious end.
The World Cup winner failed to deliver Champions League success for the French club
Messi was suspended by the club after taking an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia in May
‘I think that from the beginning, it was something very nice, like the reception, which I said many times,’ Messi added.
‘Then, people started treating me differently, a part of the public of Paris. I think the vast majority continue to see me and treat me as at the beginning but there was a disconnect with a large part of the Paris fans, which obviously was not my intention, far from it.
‘It happened like that as had previously happened with [teammates Kylian] Mbappé and Neymar as well. And I know it’s their way to act but alas. I stay with all the people who respected me, as I’d always respected everyone since I arrived and it’s nothing more than an anecdote.’
After 21 years at the Spanish club winning 32 major titles, Messi moved to PSG in 2021 on a marquee deal.
Linking up with his former Barca teammate, Neymar, Messi went on to return 32 goals in 75 games across all competitions for the Parisians, while winning Ligue 1 twice in his two-year spell at the club.
The 36-year-old had been left ’emotionally destroyed’ by his departure from the LaLiga club, after it appeared the club could no longer afford to pay his wages, amid financial turmoil, which despite winning LaLiga this season, are still far from resolved.
His relationship with the club and its supporters became fructuous towards the end of his spell
Messi (left) will now join the MLS side that is owned by David Beckham (middle)
The World Cup winner had been heavily linked with a fairytale return back to his former side Barcelona, yet, amid financial difficulties at the LaLiga giants, Messi has instead opted to join Inter Miami.
Messi is also said to have received a ginormous $2.5billion deal, that could have seen him join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
But Mail Sport understands that Messi, who won four Champions League titles with the Blaugrana and scored 672 goals in 778 games for the club, will be offered a lucrative contract with the MLS club, that could include new deals with adidas and Apple.
ESPN are also reporting that his deal with the American side includes an option that could see him become a part-owner of the football club and a slice of the subscriber revenues from Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.
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