In the absence of Neymar, the connection will not pass through the fiber of friendship.
Tuesday, on the lawn of Camp Nou, it is rather through the origins and the love of the shirt that the link between Lionel Messi and PSG will exist.
Both shaped at the Newell's Old Boys academy, the Barça star and PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino, in fact, have the same love for the Argentinian club Rosario.
Although they did not evolve there during the same period, "Poche" (from 1988 to 1994) and "Pulga" (from 1995 to 2000) were both branded with a hot iron by their passage at "los leprosos "
(Editor's note: lepers)
, nickname won in the 1920s during a charity match.
"We both love Newell's, because we went through their academy, it's our common bond, what connects us him and me", explained moreover a few weeks ago the Argentine coach of PSG on the airwaves of Cadena Ser radio.
The two men have therefore only crossed paths during their careers.
In the El Larguero program, the PSG coach also revealed that he and the six-fold Ballon d'Or came close to playing under the same colors a few years later in Catalonia.
“Messi was about to be loaned to Espanyol,” Pochettino said.
The case was well underway, but he put in an incredible performance in a pre-season match at the Joan Gamper Trophy against Fabio Capello's Juventus (in 2004).
This ended the negotiations.
"
Messi has displayed his desire to leave Catalonia
Will the future allow them to repair this blunder and one day find themselves under the same colors?
Since his arrival in Paris at the beginning of January in place of Thomas Tuchel, rumors have been rife on the coach's abilities to link a Messi with his desire to leave Catalonia and Paris, a of the few clubs in the world of football able to welcome it.
"The best in the world are welcome in Paris," said Pochettino during one of his first press conferences in the capital before showing himself since much more measured in his statements.
READ ALSO>
Poll: the French prefer Mbappé to Messi at PSG
History not to be at fault, first, vis-à-vis Barça, PSG and the player, in a file as sensitive as media.
But also in order not to betray the truth and not to have to embellish the nature of the relations he maintains with the Catalan star whom Pochettino admits "having met several times over the years".
Messi and Pochettino are not close
For Guillem Balague, of course, Pochettino (48 years old) and Messi (33 years old) know each other.
But for the one who wrote the only authorized biography of Messi and devoted a book to Pochettino during his time at Tottenham, “the two men cannot be considered close.
"
PSG express newsletter
Our information on the capital club
Subscribe to the newsletterAll newsletters
"They know each other, have a good relationship and have met several times, especially in London at The Best Trophy," explains the Spanish journalist.
But they never met at the table around a good lunch, for example.
That doesn't mean Messi wouldn't be enticed to work with Pochettino, though.
“Especially since many arguments could seduce Messi if he chose to leave, continues Balagué.
It is said that the language most used in the locker room of PSG is the Spaniard, whom Neymar wants to extend, that the physical requirement in Ligue 1 is less than in the Premier League ... It is interesting in view of the 2022 World Cup. But beware, all this is just speculation on my part, there is no information there.
"