Why Lionel Messi deserves more respect for his time at Paris Saint-Germain?

Lionel Messi has become a topic of discussion recently. There was a picture of him with a bag with all the clubs he played for, but no PSG. The timing of this is not surprising, as people are looking for topics to talk about during this international break. The picture itself does his time at Les Parisiens a disservice when you factor in how he left Barcelona. The image has also sparked a debate as to whether he was not appreciated enough during his time at the club. Here at PSG Post, we discuss whether the Barcelona legend was disrespected during his time in France.

Why Messi's time at PSG is better than we thought?

He performed relatively well and had to adapt his role

The former Argentine international gave a strong account of himself during his two years at the club despite a slow start in his first season. Leo scored nine goals and added four assists in 14 Champions League games for Les Parisiens. He also scored 22 goals and registered 31 assists in 58 Ligue 1 games, which is remarkable considering he played alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The numbers tell you Leo had to be more of a creator for the French club, as Mbappé and Neymar have a serious eye for goal. The fact he tailored his game slightly for his teammates warrants respect.

He left Barcelona against his will

Messi was forced to leave Barcelona in August 2021 due to severe financial constraints and strict La Liga salary cap rules, even though both he and the club desperately wanted him to stay. In an emotional farewell press conference, a tearful Lionel Messi revealed he expected to extend his stay at Barcelona. PSG and Man City were the only clubs at the time that could afford La Pulga's wages, but the Manchester club didn't go through with the signing as they didn't want to be let down again after failed attempts in 2016 and 2020.

The timing in which he joined PSG raised eyebrows

Messi joined Les Parisiens at an illogical time, as they already had two superstars in Neymar and Mbappe who didn't like pressing. The 39-year-old was 34 when he joined the club, which made the move even more confusing, as it put the club in win-now mode. The French champions did not end up winning the Champions League during Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé's time, but they could look back at that period as a learning curve. The club now knows that a Galactico model doesn't always work. Since all three of them left in 2024, PSG have won back-to-back Champions Leagues.

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