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Lionel Messi breaks silence on being booed by PSG fans after leaving club for Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi has spoken out about the booing he experienced from PSG fans, stating that there was a “rift” with the supporters.
PSG fans heckled Messi after he returned from a two-week suspension for visiting Saudi Arabia, prompting both then-manager Christophe Galtier and teammate Marquinhos to defend the World Cup winner.
He has stated that there are some supporters who simply cannot accept him, despite the fact that both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have suffered similar treatment, with the latter becoming the object of a protest in the 2022/23 season.
Messi told RMC Sport: “At first it was great, I received a lot of encouragement as I’ve often said, but then people started to treat me differently, some of the Paris fans. The majority, on the other hand, treated me as well as they did at the start. There was a rift with a large section of the Paris crowd. Of course it wasn’t my intention. But these are things that have already happened with Mbappé and Neymar too, it’s their way of doing things. But I still remember all those people who supported me, as they did at the start.”
Messi was unable to assist PSG in achieving their ultimate aim, since they were unable to win the Champions League during his time with the club, despite winning two Ligue 1 titles previous to his contract termination.
Messi is on his way to Miami and will make his debut against Cruz Azul next month.