Lionel Messi says there has been a rift with some Paris Saint-Germain fans during his two years at the club.
Lionel Messi was booed by PSG fans following the team’s elimination from the Champions League over the past two seasons.
The World Cup winner was also targeted by some of the crowd in his last PSG home game and Messi said he will remember some of the fans who cheered him on.
“Well, I thought at first it was something extraordinary,” Messi told beIN Sports in an interview as quoted by ESPN.
“Just like the welcome I received when I arrived. But then some people started to treat me differently, some from the Paris fans,” he continued.
“I think most still looked at me and treated me the way they did at the start, but there was a rift with the large group of Paris fans, which was definitely not my intention, far from it. And, it happened like it happened before with [Kylian] Mbappe , with Neymar, I know that’s the way they behave.”
“But, well, I’ll bring people who respect me, because I’ve always respected everyone since I arrived and that’s all. It’s an anecdote.”
Earlier this month, Kylian Mbappe also criticized France for its treatment of the Argentina captain during his time in Paris.
Messi also said that the quality level of matches at the elite level had decreased after the World Cup in Qatar.
“So, I think the World Cup affects everything for different situations, because of the time of the season,” added Lionel Messi.
“I don’t think that’s a reason either, because a lot of players go to the World Cup, but I think in general the level of the league or the Champions League has felt a bit broken. The World Cup, even though we won it. Everyone comes back in a different way for different reasons .”
Lionel Messi chose not to renew his contract with PSG at the end of the season and joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
