Messi, Neymar Face Fan Fury at Parc des Princes, But Do They Really Deserve All The Boos?
12:33 GMT 14.03.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© REUTERS / CHRISTIAN HARTMANN
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For years, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have dreamt of capturing the UEFA Champions League, the biggest club title on offer in Europe. To accomplish their goal, the French outfit bought the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi to the Parc des Princes. But even these men have failed to lift the Ligue 1 top club in their pursuit of continental glory.
Who would have thought that the great Lionel Messi will ever be booed by fans on the football field, but the tectonic shift among the Argentine's loyal supporters was witnessed when PSG managed a 3-0 victory over Bordeaux on Sunday.
Even Neymar, who scored one of the three goals in the game, wasn't spared as supporters of Mauricio Pochettino's side slung abuse each time the Brazilian star touched the ball.
Even Neymar, who scored one of the three goals in the game, wasn't spared as supporters of Mauricio Pochettino's side slung abuse each time the Brazilian star touched the ball.
Neymar and Lionel Messi are being booed at the Parc des Princes every time they touch the ball during PSG's game with Bordeaux. pic.twitter.com/JXhCcm5Dnn
— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) March 13, 2022
So what has driven PSG's fans to go on the offensive against their own men and taunt them on the pitch?
Messi and Neymar's maltreatment by fans in Paris could be explained by the fact that both superstar footballers were hired by the French powerhouse to help them win the Champions League, something PSG have never won in the past.
Neymar arrived in France on a world record transfer fee of $260 million back in 2017 and Messi joined his former Barcelona colleague there last summer.
However, the South American icons have unquestionably failed to deliver the goods, particularly when the team needed them most last week during the return leg of their Round of 16 Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
PSG won the first leg of the fixture 1-0, courtesy of Kylian Mbappe's stunner in the 94th minute.
They were dominating the proceedings initially in the second as well, leading the Spaniards. However, PSG collapsed like a pack of cards in the final 45 minutes of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And just as Messi and Neymar were expected to inspire their teammates in the Spanish capital, they put in a most disappointing performance, appearing on football's greatest stage more like the accident-prone bunglers Laurel and Hardy than the titans of the game they were assumed to be.
With their continuing blunders, Neymar and Messi seem to have become liabilities for PSG, considering the amount of money and faith the club and supporters have lavished on them.
Messi, who used to be a goal-scoring behemoth, has struggled ever since he joined the Parisians.
Messi and Neymar's maltreatment by fans in Paris could be explained by the fact that both superstar footballers were hired by the French powerhouse to help them win the Champions League, something PSG have never won in the past.
Neymar arrived in France on a world record transfer fee of $260 million back in 2017 and Messi joined his former Barcelona colleague there last summer.
However, the South American icons have unquestionably failed to deliver the goods, particularly when the team needed them most last week during the return leg of their Round of 16 Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
PSG won the first leg of the fixture 1-0, courtesy of Kylian Mbappe's stunner in the 94th minute.
They were dominating the proceedings initially in the second as well, leading the Spaniards. However, PSG collapsed like a pack of cards in the final 45 minutes of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And just as Messi and Neymar were expected to inspire their teammates in the Spanish capital, they put in a most disappointing performance, appearing on football's greatest stage more like the accident-prone bunglers Laurel and Hardy than the titans of the game they were assumed to be.
With their continuing blunders, Neymar and Messi seem to have become liabilities for PSG, considering the amount of money and faith the club and supporters have lavished on them.
Messi, who used to be a goal-scoring behemoth, has struggled ever since he joined the Parisians.
Many experts feel the 34-year-old legend's powers are on the wane and adjusting to change, both in club and city, has taken its toll.
After recording just seven goals in 26 appearances in all competitions for PSG so far, Messi is on course to record his worst career numbers for an entire season in more than 15 years.
Neymar's problems have a different dimension. Unlike his former Camp Nou colleague, the Brazil forward is not new to PSG.
He has been playing there for five years and should have made winning trophies his priority. But this hasn't been the case, and there have been questions about how motivated he is in the city of love.
Moreover, concerns over his fitness have refused to subside which is understandable since he has remained absent for some time in almost every season because of a string of injuries.
His latest health problem came last November when he was sidelined for more than two-and-a-half months, after having suffered an ankle injury.
Even Muttath Suresh, the retired Indian national team centre-back agrees that both Messi and Neymar haven't fulfilled their promise at PSG.
"The prime reason behind Messi's lack of success with PSG is his inability to adjust to his new role there. But he hasn't been a complete failure in France, otherwise he wouldn't have produced 11 assists for them," he told Sputnik on Monday.
"As far as Neymar is concerned, his fitness is a major problem for PSG. Unless Pochettino finds a solution to it, he will continue to struggle," he concluded.
After recording just seven goals in 26 appearances in all competitions for PSG so far, Messi is on course to record his worst career numbers for an entire season in more than 15 years.
Neymar's problems have a different dimension. Unlike his former Camp Nou colleague, the Brazil forward is not new to PSG.
He has been playing there for five years and should have made winning trophies his priority. But this hasn't been the case, and there have been questions about how motivated he is in the city of love.
Moreover, concerns over his fitness have refused to subside which is understandable since he has remained absent for some time in almost every season because of a string of injuries.
His latest health problem came last November when he was sidelined for more than two-and-a-half months, after having suffered an ankle injury.
Even Muttath Suresh, the retired Indian national team centre-back agrees that both Messi and Neymar haven't fulfilled their promise at PSG.
"The prime reason behind Messi's lack of success with PSG is his inability to adjust to his new role there. But he hasn't been a complete failure in France, otherwise he wouldn't have produced 11 assists for them," he told Sputnik on Monday.
"As far as Neymar is concerned, his fitness is a major problem for PSG. Unless Pochettino finds a solution to it, he will continue to struggle," he concluded.
