On Sunday night, the reaction of Lionel Messi to a group of fans inside the Parc des Princes who ‘booed and whistled’ his name, speaks volumes.
Before their Ligue 1 clash against Lyon, the 35-year-old forward who has been rumored to return to his former club Barcelona in recent weeks was greeted with whistles of discontent from some fans inside the 80,000-capacity stadium, as his name was announced in the line-up.
However, Lionel Messi didn’t seem too bothered by the negative reaction.
On the other hand, his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe was met with loud cheers when his name was announced by the announcer.
Video Messi Boeed By PSG FANS
— Dani Gil (@danigilopez) April 2, 2023
Otra vez pitos a Messi en el Parque de los Príncipes. La fractura con la grada es incuestionable a estas alturas de la temporada, acrecentada por los rumores de su posible vuelta a Barcelona.#Messi #PSG pic.twitter.com/H2E7rnl0RI
— Dani Gil (@danigilopez) April 2, 2023
Spanish journalistDani Gil, who was in attendance on Sunday, recorded the fan reaction. He said: “The fracture with the stands is unquestionable at this stage of the season, increased by rumours of his possible return to Barcelona.”
Following a 56th-minute strike from highly-rated forward Bradley Barcola, Paris Saint-Germain ended up losing the Ligue 1 clash.
However, the negative reaction towards Messi’s appearance at the Parc des Princes sparked a huge debate among fans and pundits.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video after the game, former Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry said it was “embarrassing” to hear whistles from the stadium.
“You can’t whistle one of the best players on the team, who has 13 goals and 13 assists this season,” he said.
“Personally, I would like to see him finish his career at Barcelona, in Europe. After that, I don’t know what he will do. Because the way he left Barcelona after everything he did… I didn’t really like it.
“For the love of football, he should go back to Barcelona.”
Lionel Messi’s reaction to Mbappe when PSG fans whistled him💀 pic.twitter.com/dKhHiQ5cmx
— Trig (@Kharlerh) April 2, 2023
He’s not bothered lmaoo pic.twitter.com/exP72TUW7e
— JJ🇬🇵 (@jovicism1) April 2, 2023
PSG manager Christophe Galtier also condemned the whistles in his post-match comments.
“I find it harsh,” he said. “We’re just waiting for Leo and Kylian [Mbappe] to unlock the game.
“Leo is our creator, so he tries a lot and automatically has a lot of waste, but around Leo, you need to look at the function of the players. We can’t expect everything from Leo and Kylian. Leo tried and succeeded in some things, mismatches or otherwise, but he also missed link-ups with his teammates.
“These whistles are unfair in my opinion because Messi gave a lot in the first part of the season. He’s a passer and scorer in 2023. It’s also up to the others to do more and bring more danger.”
Messi’s future remains in the air with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. That being said, Barcelona’s vice president Rafael Yuste said they have made contact with Messi and his representatives.
He said, as perThe Guardian: “Leo and his family know the affection I have for them.
“I participated in the negotiations which unfortunately did not lead to a certain result. I’ve always had and I have this thorn in my side that Leo couldn’t continue at our club.
“Messi knows how much we appreciate him. I would love for him to come back. We’re in contact, of course, with them.”
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