"I didn't make a mistake in going to PSG" - Lionel Messi makes defiant claim on Barcelona exit
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi has been one of the most talked-about footballers in the past few months. The Argentine great left Barcelona after spending two decades at the club and sealed a move to PSG on a free transfer, bringing an end to one of the most iconic periods in the game's history.
Messi has taken a while to get going in the French capital, scoring just once for PSG so far in a 2-0 victory against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. The former Barcelona captain hasn't performed badly by any stretch of the imagination, but his integration to his new team has taken a while, which is understandable considering he spent his entire professional career at the Camp Nou.
For the first time since swapping Barcelona for PSG, Messi has spoken to the media, with his France Football exclusive set to release on 9th October. However, a snippet from the much-awaited interview has already been revealed (quotes via Marca), with Messi indicating that he does not regret his decision to swap Catalonia for the Parc des Princes.
"I didn't make a mistake in going to PSG!"
Lionel Messi gives a world exclusive interview to France Football this weekend - the headline: “I didn’t make a mistake.”
Barcelona's alarming nosedive continues after Lionel Messi's PSG move
While PSG lead the way in Ligue 1 and look well set to make it through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League after securing four points from their first two games, Barcelona are currently on the other end of the spectrum. Ronald Koeman's side are ninth in the La Liga standings, five points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
Messi's departure, coupled with a multitude of issues on and off the pitch, has compounded Barcelona's woes as they continue to slide down a slippery slope. PSG, on the other hand, have benefitted from Messi's arrival despite not seeing the best of him yet and look well-positioned to compete on all fronts this season.
Koeman says his best moment in charge was when he signed the contract to coach Barça. The worst moment was losing Messi
In an interview earlier this month, Koeman admitted that Messi's departure has had an adverse effect on Barcelona's form this season.
"Messi hid everything. He was very good and he won [us games]. Of course he had good players around him, but he made the difference. Thanks to him everyone looked better. This is not a criticism, but an observation."
The Argentine great is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time and is sure to make his mark with PSG in the months ahead.
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