Lionel Messi has described his debut at former club Paris Saint-Germain as “very difficult,” describing two consecutive unsuccessful Champions League bids as a “massive disappointment.”
“I came to Paris because I liked the club, because I had friends in the dressing room… it seemed easier for me to adapt rather than another destination I could have gone to,” Messi told beIN Sports in an interview broadcast Sunday.
“In reality, it was a very tough adaptation, much harder than I expected… with a new game plan, new teammates, a new city.
“I arrived late. I didn’t have a pre-season. The start was difficult for me, my family.”
Messi, 36, joined PSG in the summer of 2021 after 17 seasons at Barcelona, but will now play in the MLS for Inter Miami after leaving the French capital.
Messi’s debut season, in which he scored 11 goals in 34 games for PSG, was made more difficult when he contracted Covid over the winter break in Argentina, putting him out for a month.
“It took me time to refind my physical form,” he admitted, adding that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — which Messi won with Argentina — also took its toll.
“It’s not an excuse, but the World Cup played a big role. Some came back later than others, some were injured, like Neymar.
“I think, generally, the level of Ligue 1 and the Champions League was affected by the World Cup.”
Losses in the Champions League to Real Madrid in 2022 and Bayern Munich this season, according to Messi, were “massive disappointments.”
Even portions of PSG fans turned on Messi, whistling at him from the stands.
“In the beginning, it was great. I received a lot of encouragement… but later on a part of the Parisian fanbase treated me differently. The majority treated me well, but there was a rupture with a part of the public,” he acknowledged.
