Lionel Messi, return to Paris and a few unanswered questions

paquito3 weeks ago

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Everyone has been talking about it since Argentina were crowned at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 18 and lost to the Blues (3-3; 4-2): Lionel Messi in his What kind of reception will you get on the pitch? Back to France?

The plane of the Albiceleste playmaker and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker landed at Le Bourget airport (Seine-Saint-Denis) on the afternoon of Tuesday 3 January. Early the next morning, he went to Camp des Loges, Paris Saint-Germain’s training center in the forest of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines). The Île-de-France team posted a video on Twitter where we see him smiling and accepting some congratulations from those around the training center before joining some of his teammates. They and staff treated him to a guard of honor as he entered the lawn.

We may have to wait until Angers’ reception on January 11 and Day 18 representing Ligue 1 to know the public’s verdict at the Parc des Princes. But the Paris Saint-Germain coach wanted to reassure him when it was announced that Pulga (as he was nicknamed) was coming back after the (3-1) defeat at Lens on Sunday 1 January. “Obviously it’s going to be popular,” Christophe Galtier told the press. Clarification is again necessary after some Albiceleste supporters and players directed suspicious celebrations at his team-mate Kylian Mbappé.

“It wasn’t Leo who spoke up, we had to take him out. There’s no reason to mix everything up,” he said, trying to convince the technical staff before the tournament resumes at the end of December. Still, his No. 30 didn’t try to end it, even being hilarious with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, the leader of the provocation against the Frenchman. So fear the lackluster reception at the Porte d’Auteuil, more widely in France.

Kylian Mbappe received a standing ovation at the Bollaert Stadium ahead of the game against Lens on Sunday. “We are very grateful for what he did during the World Cup. But not only that, explained RCL captain Seko Fofana. The image he embodies off the field has to be respected. He is a very great player.” Lionel May Lionel Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and already a favorite for the 2023 World Cup, is also a very good player. On the other hand, his image has been somewhat tarnished since his coronation at the Emirates.

On January 1, Christophe Galtier reminded that the Argentine, who won the “most beautiful trophy” at the end of the competition, was “very good” – he was chosen for the The best player of the tournament. Before continuing: “Now that he’s achieved this incredible goal, it’s especially important to remember what he’s done for the team since the start of the season. He’s been a decisive player for us. One way of saying it It is Qatar that the brackets are over and it is time to end the debate.

Pulga wins it all now

Kylian Mbappé himself tried to extinguish the nascent flames once he was back on the pitch. According to the Bondy (Seine-Saint-Denis) native, there is no doubt that more attention should be paid to organizing dubious celebrations of the inner circle. “It’s not my problem. I don’t waste my energy on such insignificant things. The most important thing for me is to give my best for my club. We will wait for Leo to come back to win games and Goal,” he explained in the mixed zone after PSG’s 2-1 win over Strasbourg on December 28.

Mbappe is aware of it: the World Cup is his team-mate’s “lifelong pursuit”, the only trophy missing from his sprawling roster. It also sparked another fear that came with the Argentine’s return. Messi, 35, has now won it all. Does he have the necessary drive to seek a fifth Champions League title and dedicate his first to Paris Saint-Germain? Or, at least, to collect the second title of the French champions and the eleventh in Paris?

The possibility of a new contract with the capital club, which expires in June 2023, may provide the first clue. Three days after the final whistle of the World Cup in Qatar, Le Parisien reported that the leaders of Paris Saint-Germain and the striker’s father and agent Jorge Messi had reached an agreement in principle in early December to lose at least one point. more seasons. The daily said the case would be sealed upon his return from leave.

But, at the same time, the Argentine became world champion. From there to change the situation? FC Barcelona have been flirting with the idea of bringing the prodigal son back to his favorite club. Other rumors have him eager to discover the formation of Major League Soccer, the United States Championship, and Inter Miami, David Beckham. In short, a gold early retirement.

The capital club’s first major meeting at the start of the year will be a Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich, with the first leg scheduled for February 14 at the Parc des Princes. For this particular game, PSG need a fully committed Messi.