The Parc des Princes woke up this Wednesday with a giant canvas on the façade: “Bienvenue Leo Messi”.
The home of Paris Saint-Germain could already boast of the 34-year-old Argentine striker, who on Tuesday had landed in the French capital to sign his contract until 2023, with the option of extending it for one more season.
“It is a historic day, incredible for the club and for the world of football.
He is the only player to win the Ballon d'Or six times.
Soccer is beautiful thanks to him.
His signing generates excitement in PSG fans, but also in those around the world ”, the president of the French entity, the Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, explained at the outset.
More information
Messi against the past of the Barça
The relief of Messi and the surrender of Laporta
Outside the stadium, about 2,000 fans were still intoxicated with Messi euphoria. The expectation was total. After 21 years at Barcelona —he arrived at La Masia at 13—, the 10, who will now wear the number 30, was going to be presented at a new club. More than 50 journalists from different countries were waiting for the Argentine, who appeared smiling and relaxed, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and navy blue tie, in the press room of the PSG stadium. The idea of the Parisian club was clear: the message had to look to the future, enough to talk about Barcelona. “He answered more than 40 questions on Sunday. Now he is a PSG player ”, they assured from the communication department of the French entity. After the act, at the foot of the field of the Park of the Princes, Messi spoke alone with EL PAÍS.
Question.
He arrives in Paris, a city without much tradition for the ball.
Do you think that your presence will definitely change the French capital's relationship with football?
Answer.
I do not know.
Since I arrived I have another feeling.
People showed me the opposite.
The reception on Tuesday was insane.
Q.
It was a bit
Maradonian
, wasn't it?
R.
Really, impressive.
It was very exciting for me, but also for my whole family who have been able to experience all this.
It is my first experience outside of Barcelona after so many years there.
Q.
Do your children understand something of everything that is happening to them?
R.
Thiago [is eight years old] yes.
He understands this change and, surely, it is the one who will have the hardest time assimilating everything that is happening.
The other two are young [Mateo is five years old;
and Ciro, three], follow the older brother and my wife and me.
But, beyond the deep pain that he has inside, he has already begun to enjoy and become fond of everything.
P.
Neymar left Spain, then Cristiano Ronaldo left and now you said goodbye.
Is there a gap in LaLiga with respect to the great soccer stars?
R.
In the end, the important thing in the leagues is the teams.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are still there and there are also Sevilla, Valencia and Atlético, which are the big clubs.
The clubs were always there despite the fact that players have left.
LaLiga continues to be a big and important competition.
Other players have already left and the clubs followed.
They continued to exist and perform.
It will cost Real Madrid and Barcelona, but in a few years they will settle.
The big stars are going to return to Spanish football.
Q.
How was the conversation that Mauricio Pochettino had last Friday?
R.
When the negotiations with PSG began, Mauricio called me.
I asked him what his idea was and he told me that he was delighted and that he was waiting for me in Paris.
Tomorrow we will surely talk about what is going to happen on the pitch.
But that day we did not talk about tactics.
P.
Where do you imagine playing, as a winger or behind Neymar and Mbappé?
A.
I don't know, I have no idea.
I'm already here.
It is a Pochettino problem.
He will find a way.
In the end, we will all end up adapting.
Messi says goodbye to EL PAÍS with kindness and walks away through the grass of the Parque de los Príncipes band towards the next stop on a very busy schedule.
Earlier, in the press room, he had already transmitted his first ideas as a PSG footballer.
Ideal group
"My dream is to win the Champions League again.
I have reached the ideal team.
In this dressing room are the best in the world in their position.
I come to a team that is practically done.
Beyond the signings that were made this season, in recent years he was close to being able to win the Champions League, ”said the Rosario, who will have the highest salary of the squad (36.5 million) ahead of his friend Neymar ( 35).
In this window of signings, PSG signed Achraf (60 million) and Danilo Pereira (16) And stayed at zero cost with Messi, Sergio Ramos and Wijnaldum.
It also incorporated Donnarumma, the starting goalkeeper of the Italy team, champion of the last European Championship.
As Al-Khelaïfi explained, everything was in order: “We have followed the rules of financial fair play.
Before doing any transaction, we speak with all shareholders and with the league.
If the signing of Messi was made, it is because we had it arranged ”.
In May, PSG renewed Neymar until 2025 - now that he is playing with his friend again, Leo intends to end his career in Paris - and intends to stay with Mbappé, who ends his contract next season.
"Kylian is very competitive and wants a winning team.
It has to stay.
He no longer has excuses, ”said the president.
Messi will meet again with Neymar, in addition to sharing a dressing room with two teammates from Albiceleste - Di María and Paredes - and will be able to exploit Mbappé's talent.
"Play with Neymar and Mbappé?", He said;
"It is a huge happiness, a madness."
Messi's joy in Paris contrasts with the sadness with which he appeared at his farewell to the Camp Nou, in tears, at the Auditori 1899, under the gaze of President Joan Laporta and the Barça squad. “I had to go through a lot of feelings. Everything that happened to me in this last week was hard. That's my house, I've been there since I was little. It has been many years, many things lived, good and bad, "said La Pulga. And he commented on a hypothetical cross between PSG and Barcelona in the Champions League: “They knew that he was going to a strong, competitive team, a team that was going to fight in the Champions League. They know me and they know that I like to win, that I am a winner and I want to continue meeting goals. I had no doubts that Paris have the same goals as me: to win, win and continue to be bigger as a club. I don't know if we are going to face each other.On the one hand, it will be nice to go back to Barcelona, hopefully it will be with people when possible; but, on the other hand, it will be very rare to play at home again with another shirt ”.
Train this Thursday
At the end of the press conference, the round of eight interviews that the club had organized for him on the field of the Parc des Princes, Messi once again embraced the love of the PSG fans.
Outside, more than five hours later, the Parisian fans followed, with flags and flares to honor their new star.
“I am very grateful to all those people, it was crazy.
He was still in Barcelona, when the Barça statement had just come out and the fans here were already out on the street.
There was nothing there yet, not even conversations had started.
And people acted like I was already traveling to Paris.
Hopefully it will be an extraordinary year for them and also for us on a sporting level ”, said Messi.
La Pulga will already stay in Paris.
And this Thursday his first training session under Pochettino is scheduled.
“I can't stand the desire to meet my teammates and the coaching staff anymore.
I love football, I like to play, I like to win ”.
From the tears of Barcelona, to the smile of Paris, with the Champions League between eyebrows.
You can follow EL PAÍS DEPORTES on
and
, or sign up here to receive
our weekly newsletter
.
