Lionel Messi
Following his offensive remarks against Barcelona, Lionel Messi ignored his Argentina teammate Leandro Paredes.
WHAT OCCURRED?
In 2021, Barcelona legend Lionel Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, saying goodbye to his childhood club with tears in his eyes. The legendary football player still holds a great deal of respect for the Blaugrana, even though he parted ways with them. His treatment of fellow World Cup-winning Argentina player Paredes, who insulted the Catalan team, was a reflection of it.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The incident took place in February 2021 during PSG’s Champions League matchup with Barcelona. Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick had given the French champions a 4-1 victory. Messi overheard Paredes, who later played for PSG, using disparaging remarks about the opposition to inspire his teammates. For the next three months after the incident, the Argentina captain did not communicate with the midfield player.
LEANDRO PAREDES’S COMMENTS
“We didn’t talk to each other for about three months,” Paredes told Infobae. I had a terrible experience. I messaged him the following day and again fifteen days later. “It wasn’t for you, and it wasn’t meant to offend,” I told him. However, he didn’t answer. Three months passed before he responded.
“It had been three months without us talking, and I thought: ‘Now I have to see how he reacts.’ But no, a phenomenon, a phenomenon. We arrived at the training camp on the same day, I arrived a little early and he appeared in my room. I was brushing my teeth, it was very early, and he threw water on me and said: ‘What are you doing up so early?”
