With Messi being punished by Paris for "three stops" and posting an apology on social media... The question of whether the two sides will be together next season should already be settled.
From his arrival in the summer of 2021 to his departure in the summer of 2023, the story between Messi and Paris Saint-Germain lasted only two short years. Why is honeymoon in the romantic capital so short? Whose problem was it and what was done wrong during the process? These things may have to dig down to find some answers.
From going both ways, to suffering on both sides
Looking back at the days when Messi first arrived, people thought it would be a beautiful two-way journey.
When the greatest player in Barça's history announced his departure from his throne with tears in his eyes, it was Paris Saint-Germain who immediately handed him a "tissue". A huge contract, a relatively relaxed league, and an adventure to reach the top again are almost the most ideal places for Messi. And the visa-free signing of a long-coveted legendary superstar does not need the slightest hesitation for Paris.
So, Messi put on the number 30 shirt in Paris. This was his original debut at Barca, and it also allowed Ligue 1 to break the convention that must be worn by goalkeepers. Three months later, Paris president Nasser said about Messi's Ballon d'Or: "One of our players has won the most prestigious award and the club is extremely proud. Leo is making more history and we're thrilled to have one of the best ever. ”
Then attach a small gift: let Messi light up the Eiffel Tower with his own hands.
Clubs, fans and even the city and Ligue 1 as a whole are expecting something great from the great Messi. However, three months later, Paris were eliminated by Real Madrid in the 1/8 final of the Champions League. Messi missed a penalty in the first leg of the match between the two sides, which was reckoned by some French media and fans.
A few days later, Paris hosted Ligue 1 in Bordeaux, and the live fans at the Parc des Princes booed all the players except Kylian Mbappe. Especially against Messi and Neymar, there are all kinds of abuse, even if the team won 3-0 will not stop. After the game, they went straight to the locker room and refused to thank the fans, and this refusal... It lasted for almost a year.
The rift has been created and continues to expand. The boos from the home fans continued one after another, and the criticism of the media celebrities never stopped.
In the summer of 2022, Messi was shortlisted for the 30-man Ballon d'Or for the first time in 16 years, even if he was the previous winner. Earlier, Mbappe had been eyeing Real Madrid for a long time but did not go, choosing to stay in Paris for another three-year contract. While the various "part-time director" riders were subsequently debunked, French President Emmanuel Macron's personal appearance as a lobbyist, and the well-connected entry of Campos as an adviser show that Mbappe's status at the club has been clearly and vastly improved.
As France's number one star and a Paris (suburban) local, it's no surprise that Mbappe has full support from the local community. But in the Qatar World Cup at the end of 2022, Messi led Argentina to lift the Hercules Cup to achieve the last dream of his career, defeating France in the final and Mbappe, who played quite well in that game.
Back at the club, Messi didn't get the official pre-match celebrations. Although the Paris fans applauded him, there was still some noise. At the same time, the "Messi is close to renewing his contract with Paris", which was originally reported by all parties before the World Cup, began to fall into a quagmire until it gradually drifted away.
In February, Paris was eliminated from the round of 16 by arch-rival Marseille in the French Cup, sparking a new round of protests from fans. In March, the Champions League once again fell to the round of 16, with a technical knockdown by Bayern Munich over two legs, and fan dissatisfaction reached its peak. Many of them pointed at Messi, accusing him of not going all out after winning the World Cup, sorry for the sky-high salary given by Paris.
And then there's what happened recently.
Messi signed on as Saudi Arabia's tourism ambassador as early as last May, and will go again for promotional activities within 12 months according to the agreement. There were two plans in March and April this year, but because of the elimination of the Champions League in Paris and the cancellation of temporary training, the Saudi tourism minister's prediction on social media turned into "fake news". May is the last chance to fulfill the contract, and according to the Argentine media, Messi also informed the club in advance.
Unexpectedly, Paris lost 3-1 to Lorient in the league, and the coaching staff decided to temporarily practice on Monday, which was originally a holiday. And Messi's family is ready to travel, considering various factors, this time did not choose to cancel again.
So, while his teammates were still training in Paris, Messi's family was warmly received in Saudi Arabia, and a series of promotional photos were taken and released as planned.
This made the Paris senior management led by Nasser very dissatisfied, and various French media soon revealed that Paris would impose a three-time penalty of "training, suspension, and pay suspension" for two weeks, while the club officials remained silent.
Sometimes, silence can really say a lot about it.
How big is the "bigger dream"?
There are almost two completely different views on these things between local fans in Paris and Messi fans in various countries. And this difference is not just a matter of simple position, but can also be used to explain the contradictions inside and outside the club.
Since Qatar Sports Investment bought a majority stake in Paris in 2011, their rising ambitions have been unhidden. Paris shouted slogans like "Rêvons Plus Grand" (bigger dreams) and waved checks to bring in many stars. From Edinson Cavani and Lavic, to Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and visa-free Messi.
In the process, they quickly became Ligue 1 hegemons, growing in global influence and a force to be reckoned with throughout European football. But on the road to the top, the Champions League, which is indispensable, apart from Thomas Tuchel leading the team to a final, he has been unable to fall in the round of 16 more often than not.
Coupled with the sale of many potential youth training for financial fairness, Paris fans are increasingly disgusted with the "superstar policy" that does not see a breakthrough. From time to time, you can see the media or celebrities criticizing the club's management model: everyone else is looking for reinforcements based on tactics, and you know to buy a bunch of incompatible stars, and then change a bunch of coaches to solve unsolvable puzzles.
No European club can completely ignore local voices, let alone buy Paris Saint-Germain as part of Qatar's investment in France and external propaganda. In the branding, the team is closely connected to the city of Paris; On an overall level, they must also be the brightest calling card of Ligue 1 or even French football.
That's why Nasser will publicly say: we will gradually reduce salary expenses, and we will also help French football more.
However, the combined salary roll of stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Messi, Neymar, Ramos, Donnarumma and others is so high, and it is hoped that they can still make the most of their talents in the main squad. So Paris brought in Luis Campos last summer, a sporting director who snatched the title from Monaco and Lille, a sporting director with close ties to Kylian Mbappe, and Galtier, the manager he worked with.
But the problem is not solved. Campos is still doing what he does best at "buying a semi-finished upgraded version", but what Paris needs most in this current lineup may be half superstars and the other half dirty blue-collar. The likes of Ekitique and Vitinha did not play as expected, but rushed to the sidelines to direct the team against Lille, which triggered speculation that various managers were empty and the division of responsibilities was confused.
Some things off the pitch give a similar feeling. In January 2023, Paris had basically negotiated a loan deal with Chelsea in the winter window, but it finally fell through on the deadline. Paris complained that Chelsea had sent the wrong documents three times in a row, and Chelsea's message said that they were only wrong once, and everyone else blamed Paris for each reply like a huge delay.
On one side, there is the chaos of various operations after Burleigh took over, and on the other hand, Campos is also an adviser to Paris and Celta... Well, I can't really tell who is going to carry more pots.
In short, Paris for more than a year does reveal a strange sense of twisting. It seems that every step is getting professional people to do professional things, but every movement is not very coordinated when it comes to real running.
Want to smash out global influence, but also want to pursue the lineup cost performance. Young talents who want to keep superstars from all over the world, but also want to take root in the country. In other words: they want to be Real Madrid, and they want to be Bayern Munich.
This is no longer a bigger dream, but a dream of a wife who is too big.
In January, Nasser gave an impassioned speech at the Paris town hall. Messi and Kylian Mbappe meet in the World Cup final, and the Qataris' long-term investment in football looks to have been a huge success. He said: "2023 will be our most successful year for Paris Saint-Germain. ”
However, in March, Paris has been eliminated from the French Cup and the Champions League, and even lost more games in all competitions than in all of 2022.
When the results are good, the contradictions are not too much of a problem, after all, we all know the professionalism of these players and coaches. Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have snatched up penalties, but he is also willing to make tactical sacrifices to be more involved in defence. There have also been many news reports that the personal relationship between Messi and Mbappe is not bad at all, and the two also have good chemistry on the field.
When the grades are not good, all potential problems will be brought to light, and the contradictions will be even more irreconcilable. And Messi, right in the middle of the whirlpool. Before the World Cup final, Argentina stepped on France to win the title; Later, Qatar and Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic relations, but he became the spokesperson of the latter.
A few days ago, a large number of extreme fans in Paris gathered in front of the club's headquarters and Neymar's house, carrying flares, pulling banners and shouting slogans, insulting Messi, Neymar and Verratti as mercenaries who must get out, and demanding the resignation of management such as head coaches Galtier and Nasser.
Perhaps in response, Neymar then liked a video with quite vigorous content on social media, including "Paris is just a small club without history" and "Mbappe you forcibly held up is not a leader at all." ”
In the face of mounting contradictions, perhaps Paris will need time to slowly find a balance and clarify what its club culture really is. But Messi, who is about to turn 36, will certainly not continue to endure, leaving is almost the only option.
New questions arise, where to go?
Barcelona, Saudi Arabia or the United States?
For Messi's next stop, returning to Barca should be the most vocal choice, after all, the relevant momentum has been going on for almost a year.
Laporta has repeatedly expressed his desire for Messi's return, and Messi's father, Jorge, has also said "hopefully one day." There are also all kinds of news, explicit or implicit, such as Messi returning home to Barcelona with 15 suitcases and leaving with only one, or Barca have not scored a direct free kick for two years, the last time someone did it was against Valencia on May 2, 2021, and the goal was scored by Messi.
However, even without considering whether Messi is willing to get back together with Laporta, there is a bigger hurdle on this road, called the "La Liga salary cap".
As we all know, Barça's financial problems in recent years have been quite tight, and last year it used many financial levers to complete various signing reinforcements. La Liga has informed them this year that they can no longer use the same means, and the registration of new contracts by the likes of Garvey and Araujo is still a problem. To re-sign Messi, you not only need to raise a lot of income from selling people in the transfer market, but also need Messi to accept a significant salary cut, which is only 1/4 of the time he left.
And making an exception for Messi seems impossible. Although La Liga president Tebas said last year that "Ligue 1 has no attention, Messi's return is good for Barca and La Liga", he also said this year that "everyone is watching whether I will make an exception for Messi, I can only say that everyone is equal before the rules." ”
That's why the BBC issued an article saying that Messi's return was purely "Barca's wishful thinking".
From an economic point of view, who is not wishful thinking? That may be the Saudi Arabia endorsed by Messi.
According to Di Marzio, Saudi giants Riyadh Crescent made the latest huge offer for Messi: an annual salary of 400 million euros after tax, and a possible additional sponsorship contract of 100 million to 200 million. It's an unprecedented horrific number, with the only question being Messi's willingness to leave the major leagues.
If so, then the Saudi league may really repeat the Mero showdown, or the Riyadh derby. In addition, there are David Beckham and Miami International, who have always been worried about Messi, and even rumors that the MLS is willing to follow Xiaobei's example, and also give Messi the opportunity to create a team and transform the owner after his retirement in the future.
If not, then Barça and other possible next names still have a chance. Some media have said that Chelsea are considering whether to make an offer, and Burley always has a superstar dream in his heart. There are also media that Guardiola wants to reunite with Messi in Manchester City, provided that Messi is willing to accept non-core roles.
Either way, it shouldn't be staying in Paris. Perhaps, as the "team newspaper" that has not spit on Messi in the past said: "Many local fans do not know how to cherish it, but Mbappe and Paris will miss Messi." ”