It didn’t take the rooster to crow for the Parc des Princes to deny Messi. Two weeks after having skipped training the day after the Parisian defeat against Lorient to go to Saudi Arabia to honor a lucrative personal contract with the tourist office of this country, Lionel Messi has made his return in the colors red and blue. Large winner against Ajaccio (5-0), Saturday May 13, Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards a new crown in Ligue 1, three days before the end of the season. In a meeting where Kylian Mbappé once again distinguished himself – author of a double – the Argentine striker attracted all eyes.
From the start, Lionel Messi pulled the Parc des Princes out of its torpor. Target of whistles and insults from many supporters – despite the absence of the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP), which has put an end to its activities ” until further notice “ – from his first shots, the Argentine world champion paid for his Saudi prank. At the first corner, fired under the most virulent of the supporters, the “Pulga” was copiously booed.
In their own way, the Parisian supporters heard Christophe Galtier’s call, shortly before kick-off, to ” to profit from “ by Lionel Messi. “When Leo arrived in our French championship last season, I said that everyone should take advantage of itargued the Parisian coach at the microphone of Canal + Foot. He is the best player in the history of world football. We have to take advantage of him as long as he is with us, that people appreciate his career and what he is capable of doing on the pitch. »
Like Moses with the Red Sea, the Parisian Messi divides the Parc des Princes. The names of birds and the whistles of the Auteuil bend respond to “Messi, Messi”, cascading from other stands. Especially when, in the middle of the second period, the Argentine striker, well served by Kylian Mbappé in the opposing area, gratifies the public with a series of dribbles followed by a heel – unsuccessful – to find a partner. Such is football in 2023, a lopsided team where those who defend the “soul” of a club and the fans of a player cohabit, sometimes seeming to evolve in parallel realities.
Ajaccio officially relegated to Ligue 2
“Here, life is not a long calm river but there is no wear and tear”, summarized Christophe Galtier on Friday, about the roller coaster season of PSG. On the meadow, his men left little hope for Ajaccio, confiscating the ball and scoring goals with regularity. In turn Fabian Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappé (twice) and Marquinhos took the Corsican defense from behind in an enclosure deserted by his ultras.
If his coach had praised the enthusiasm of Lionel Messi on Friday, “very serene, very motivated to play, to win another title”, the “walker” Messi was hardly illustrated on Saturday. In a meeting where Paris did not have to force his talent to dominate the Corsicans, the Argentinian did not match his apology – broadcast on Instagram a week earlier – with a remarkable performance. It was sitting, while he had fallen, that Messi saw the last episode of the evening unfold; a scuffle where a player from each team (Hakimi for Paris and Mangani on the Ajaccio side) received a red card.
Reinstated on Tuesday, after a week of suspension for his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi played the entire match. It will remain for the one whose departure from the capital club at the end of the season and his contract seems inevitable, if not confirmed, a final outing at the Parc des Princes, Saturday June 3, against Clermont, before shooting the curtain. No doubt by having weighed down his luggage with a new trophy, but without having left his mark on Paris.
With six points ahead of Lens, three days from the end, Paris took a big step on Saturday towards its eleventh French championship title – the day when its PSG judo resident, Teddy Riner, offered himself an eleventh world crown. AC Ajaccio, he sealed his fate. After the victory, earlier in the day, of Strasbourg against Nice (2-0), almost ensuring the Alsatians of maintenance, the fight to avoid relegation is approaching its outcome. A week after Troyes – the fate of Angers having been known since the end of April – the Corsicans were mathematically sent back to Ligue 2.