Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Superstars become fans
The Messi (as) has landed
Lionel Messi will play for Paris Saint-Germain in the future – making even die-hard, highly paid superstars fans again. The city is electrified, the six-time world footballer has already landed in his new home. His heart club FC Barcelona seems far away.
Lionel Messi and his family left the estate in Castelldefels in a motorcade, while his wife posted a photo of a happy couple on the way to the city of love from the plane to Paris. The exciting and globally observed chapter Paris Saint-Germain for the six-time world footballer began with a huge hype.
Hundreds of fans greeted the superstar in front of Le Bourget Airport, while in front of the Parc des Princes the fans waited excitedly for their new darling. Messi landed on a private jet that afternoon and then waved to the waiting fans in a Paris t-shirt. “New diamond in Paris” was a short video published by PSG in the afternoon, along with pictures of an airplane and a signature, as well as the Eiffel Tower and six balls. Just 48 hours after leaving FC Barcelona in tears, Messi’s arrival left football France in ecstasy while his giant image was removed from the legendary Camp Nou. The 34-year-old Argentine reached an agreement with the bosses of Paris Saint-Germain in the morning, as reported in the media from his native Argentina, his adopted home Spain and his future adopted home France.
The introduction of the “legend of the century”
There was initially no official confirmation from PSG or Messi themselves. Spanish broadcasters, however, reported that Messi’s father and manager Jorge should have confirmed the deal at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport. And his former congenial attacking partner in Barça times left no doubt either: “Together again”, the Brazilian Neymar posted in an Instagram story: “Neymar Jr. & Leo Messi”. In addition, a heart in red, one in blue.
Messi is said to be signing a two-year deal. This should include an option for another season together. Messi would then be 37 years old at the end of June 2024. But no one thought of age on Tuesday. After landing, he was supposed to take the medical check-up at the American hospital and sign the contract. A press conference will take place on Wednesday with the “legend of the century” (“L’Équipe”), who played for 21 years at FC Barcelona and won 35 titles there.
However, it should only be a matter of hours before the Eiffel Tower will even shine in the appropriate colors in Messi’s honor – as was the case four years ago with his kicker friend Neymar, who also moved from FC Barcelona to Paris. The whole city on the Seine seems to be in Messi fever, TV stations broadcast special programs. As early as Sunday, hundreds of fans were waiting in front of an airport near the capital. It went on like this on Monday. “Le Bourget Airport, twelve kilometers from the center of Paris, has become a kind of Woodstock,” wrote the Argentine sports newspaper “Olé”. There and also in front of the Parc des Princes, after the news that the football world has been expecting for the past two days, but which has nevertheless caused them to be completely excited, the PSG fans are waiting with loud “Meeessi, Meeessi, Meeessi” -Call on the South American.
With a face mask he got out of his black van with darkened windows at noon, camera teams waited left and right before Messi disappeared with his family in El Prat airport. A short time later, his wife Antonella Roccuzzo posted a photo with him as an Instagram story: a smiling Messi who is just putting on his seat belt. “Together with everyone on a new adventure the 5”, provided with four hearts. 5 should mean the Lionel Messi family, the couple have three sons, whom Messi has already promised to return to Barcelona.
Goalkeeper star is “excited and happy”
Messi’s father and the lawyers had been negotiating with PSG since Friday. The evening before it had become known that there would be no continuation of the Messi era at FC Barcelona. Many clubs then reported that PSG was an option, Messi then emphasized at his press conference in Barcelona on Sunday, speaking of the “most difficult chapter” of his career. He had to leave FC Barcelona, which he joined when he was 13, even though both sides wanted to continue working together. The statutes of the financial fair play of the Spanish league did not allow it, however, the club is highly indebted with almost 490 million euros. Even giving up half of his lavish salary did not resolve the conflict. In Paris, according to various media reports before the agreement, Messi will receive 40 million euros net a year plus bonuses.
At PSG, Messi will play with the German national player Thilo Kehrer and ex-world champion Julian Draxler, among others. The team of the Argentine trainer Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be the best the football club world has to offer in terms of its name alone: In addition to the Brazilian Neymar, world champion Kylian Mbappé from France, the two Italian European champions Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti as well as play there the former Real icon Sergio Ramos. “As much as I value all the players who play at Paris Saint-Germain,” said Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn shortly before the agreement between Messi and PSG became known, “it will have to be seen whether this will also be a team a team is whether everything fits together. “
Messi’s new teammates couldn’t wait any longer. “He’s the best in the world,” said European champion goalkeeper Donnarumma Sky Sport Italia before the headlines about the breach of contract: “I’m excited and happy when I think about having him on the team.”
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