"It’s a shame" - PSG employee claims Lionel Messi and Neymar were upset with Ligue1 club's decision with Kylian Mbappe
Lionel Messi and Neymar were reportedly upset with Paris Saint-Germain's decision to give so much power to Kylian Mbappe during their time at the Parc des Princes. That's according to the claim made by a PSG employee during a confidential conversation with French outlet L'Equipe.
Recall that Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both joined PSG in the summer of 2017 before Lionel Messi linked up with them after leaving Barcelona in 2021. According to the aforementioned source, the Brazilian and the French forward got along at first before their relationship hit a rock.
“At first, Kylian Mbappe liked Neymar a lot, but after working with him daily, he lost the respect he had for him,” the said club employee told L'Equipe. “Conversely, both Neymar and Messi were upset that the club had given Kylian the full keys to the truck. Messi, even if he was introverted, he would at least say hello to you."
“Not Neymar. You got the impression he didn’t respect you. He refused to make contact. It’s a shame because, in private, he seems to be nice and generous. Even though he understood French, he didn’t make the effort to speak it."
After enduring a few tough years at the Parc des Princes, Neymar decided to call it quits as he completed a €90 million switch to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal last summer. Lionel Messi also parted ways with the Parisians to join Inter Miami as a free agent in the same window.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe is still plying his trade in the French capital this season but he's believed to be leaning on a move to Real Madrid at the end of the campaign.
Highlighting Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe's numbers for PSG
During his short spell at PSG that spanned just two years, Lionel Messi bagged 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances for the club across all competitions, winning the Ligue 1 title twice and the French Super Cup once.
Neymar, on the other hand, had a tally of 118 goals and 77 assists to his name in 173 games for the Parisians across competitions during his time in the French capital. He also won five Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups, two French League Cups and four French Super Cups.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe has so far recorded 251 goals and 107 assists for PSG in 301 games. That includes 39 goals and nine assists in 41 matches this season. The Frenchman has also won five Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups, two French League Cups and three French Super Cups.