On Saturday,Paris Saint-Germain returned to normalcy with a 5-0 destruction of Ajaccio in a Ligue 1 match, but as was to be expected, Lionel Messi was met with a mixed reaction by PSG’s supporters at the Parc des Princes. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the victory for PSG.
After Messi’s unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia heightened the developing tension between him and the Parisian club, PSG coach Christophe Galtier stated the Argentine “stayed focused to liven up the game” and is accustomed to managing “difficult situations.” This comes after Messi’s travel to Saudi Arabia was not sanctioned by the club.
“There were whistles but very quickly a large part of the stadium made sure to drown them out to support Leo,” said Galtier after the match. “There was a lot of noise in the stadium.”
Despite Messi’s apologies during his visit to Saudi Arabia, rumors of his prospective transfer to the Middle Eastern nation have certainly stoked the anger of some Paris Saint-Germain supporters.
Renato Sanches, a midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain, described the scenario as “weird” and “hard for Messi, for the team, and for the club” since they need a win in each of their next three matches to defend their championship. PSG is currently in first place in the French Ligue 1 standings.