“If we have to whistle, whistle the whole team” - PSG star expresses disappointment as fans boo Lionel Messi
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Danilo Pereira has expressed his disappointment at seeing teammate Lionel Messi being jeered by Les Parisiens fans.
Messi grabbed headlines after he flew to Saudi Arabia hours after the French giants' 3-1 Ligue 1 home loss to Lorient on March 30. He left the city despite being required to report for training the following day.
Although the Argentinian visited Saudi Arabia as a part of his commercial agreement with the country, his decision to travel without permission irked PSG. Les Parisiens took action against Messi by handing him a two-week suspension, while fans hurled abusive chants against the forward in front of the club's HQ.
Messi eventually issued an apology for his actions in a video, prompting the Parc des Princes outfit to cut short his suspension. Manager Christophe Galtier reinstated the superstar in his starting lineup against AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1 at home on Saturday (May 13).
However, not all fans were on board with the decision to reinstate Messi, as many whistled when his name was announced ahead of kickoff. Some expressed their anger towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner by jeering him when he went over to take a corner in the first half.
Messi has just gone over to the near side to take a corner, near to where the ultras normally sit (they've ceased activities for rest of season). Loud whistles as he made his way over from that corner, which was then drowned out by applause from elsewhere in the ground... #PSG
Pereira has since said that the atmosphere made the game tough, but PSG claimed a comfortable 5-0 win over Ajaccio. He added that he was upset to hear Messi being booed by the home fans.
"Yes, it (the context) is hard. We see a teammate who is whistled, and it hurts us," Pereira told French television channel Canal+ (via Canal Supporters). "He (Lionel Messi) is a teammate. We're all together. If we have to whistle, whistle the whole team. But we continue, we have a championship to win. And that's what counts."
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Messi is certain to leave Paris when his contract ends in June. As things stand, Al-Hilal are the only club to have made an offer to the forward, offering him a staggering deal worth over €400 million a season.
How did PSG's Lionel Messi against Ajaccio?
Goals from Fabian Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe (x2) and an own goal from Mohamed Youssouf helped the Parisians claim all three points against Ajaccio. Lionel Messi was surprisingly not involved in any of the goals.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner racked up an xG and xA of 0.16 and 0.47 respectively. He registered one shot on target and completed four of five dribbles he attempted.
Lionel Messi had a pass accuracy of 86% and played two key passes. He made four long balls with 100% accuracy, but only one of his six crosses was successful. Fans were far from impressed by the Argentinian's performance. Many took to social media to lambast the player for his display on returning from suspension.