2022 FIFA World Cup winner Lionel Messi was once greeted with boos as he made his return to the Paris Saint Germain lineup after serving his two-week suspension. Messi started for the Parisians as an attacking midfielder and put in a decent performance with a passing accuracy of 86% and completed four dribbles in the 5-0 win over AC Ajaccio.
This treatment towards Messi has been prevalent since Argentina beat France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar. These reactions have also seen an increase since Messi was suspended by Paris Saint Germain for an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. After being suspended, Messi issued an apology to the club and supporters, saying he is waiting for what the club wants to do with him.
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Talking about Messi’s apology, the former Barcelona man said, “I apologize to my teammates and I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me,” he said on Instagram. “I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always. I had this trip organized and I couldn’t cancel it. I had already cancelled it before…”.
Another reason behind these boos has been the club’s poor form as PSG has been dropping points in Ligue 1. PSG head coach Christophe Galtier had previously spoken about the club’s performances going down with Messi out. “Leo’s suspension has added to poor performances, we can’t hide behind that... I can’t say it has been a pleasant period. There’s a target to achieve, players are working hard. We are focused and committed,”, he had said.