For them, it is (also) a relief. Tired of seeing Lionel Messi, their idol, being singled out, even whistled - as on the last day of Ligue 1 - the Argentines welcomed with great satisfaction the news of his departure from Paris SG and his arrival, future, at Inter Miami. "We knew he had to leave Paris, he should never have been so badly treated. But after his successes and all the joys he has given us, he deserves to go where he wants... we are giving it to the world!" said Sandra Oldani, a 60-year-old employee in Buenos Aires.
Same story on the side of Matias Carrizo, a 26-year-old street vendor happy to see him "elsewhere than Paris SG, seen as they treated him". "I would have liked him to go to Barcelona, because you feel that people there love him, and as they say, nothing like home," he told AFP. In addition to the inhabitants of Buenos Aires, it is the whole world of Argentine football who welcomed the choice of "la Pulga". "As of today, Inter Miami has a new supporter!" said Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentine Federation (AFA).
SEE ALSO - Lionel Messi to continue his career in Miami
The Argentine press scratches the Parisian fans
The specialized press of the South American country - which, on the whole, understands the decision of the 2022 World Champion - also took the opportunity to scratch the behavior of Parisian fans throughout the year. "Guys, you have less common sense than a reclusive monk. You hadMessi, Mbappe and Neymar in the same team, and you kept complaining. From the podium you boycotted a team that with a little more time could have been champion of everything [...] Mature, guys," wrote one of Argentina's most respected specialized journalists in an open letter on Tuesday. Suffice to say that the change of club of Lionel Messi is experienced, in Argentina, as a real relief.