The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has publicly expressed his disappointment with Lionel Messi, accusing the football star of lacking “respect” for the club following his departure in June 2023. This rebuke comes in response to Messi’s comments in September, where he expressed resentment towards PSG for not honoring him after his heroic performance in the 2022 World Cup.
In a recent interview with RMC Sport, Al-Khelaifi remarked, “He’s not a bad guy but I don’t like it. I’ll say, not just for him but for everyone, we talk when we’re there, not when we’re gone. That’s not our style… I have great respect for him [Messi] but if someone wants to speak badly about Paris Saint-Germain afterwards, that’s not good. That’s not respect.”
This public admonishment comes in the wake of Messi’s outstanding World Cup performance, where he scored a brace in the final against France in Qatar and also successfully converted a penalty in the shootout, ultimately leading Argentina to a 4-2 victory on penalties. Despite Messi’s remarkable contributions, Al-Khelaifi’s criticism sheds light on the tensions surrounding Messi’s departure from PSG and the ensuing aftermath.
