"They had to leave for the good of the club" - PSG ultras president defends booing of former stars Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ultras president Roman Mabile has justified fans booing former superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.
Both players were subject to fans' backlash during their stay in the French capital, especially towards the end of their stint. Speaking on the same, Mabile told RMC Sport (via GE Globo):
"I don't hate those players. They are part of a period that did not work out, of a more "merchandising" development of the club, which worked, but completely destroyed sports.
"We can't play these players together. There is no hate, but they had to leave for the good of the club and to start over with a blank slate."
Lionel Messi left as a free agent following the expiration of his contract on June 30, joining MLS club Inter Miami. The Argentina captain spent two years in the French capital, scoring 32 goals and providing 35 assists in 75 games across competitions. The consensus notion among fans is that Messi never reached his peak at the club.
Neymar, meanwhile, had joined the Parisians in 2017 from Barcelona for a world record fee of €222 million. He scored 118 goals and provided 77 assists in 183 games across competitions before joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal in a sensational deal worth £78 million this summer.
While PSG had Kylian Mbappe alongside the Latin American duo for two years, they never flourished as fans would have liked them to. During their two seasons together, the superstar attacking trio failed to lead the team beyond the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
Despite winning two Ligue 1 titles, the Parisians' performances in the European circuit was underwhelming.
How are Lionel Messi and Neymar faring for their new teams?
Both Lionel Messi and Neymar have now left the European football scene. Over the years, the two superstars became two of the biggest names in the continent, first at Barcelona and then PSG.
Lionel Messi has been spectacular for Inter Miami since arriving as a free agent. The Argentine has scored 11 goals and provided three assists in ten games across competitions, failing to score just twice.
Neymar, meanwhile, is yet to make his Al-Hilal debut, as he's still nursing the ankle injury suffered last season. The Brazilian, though, has trained with the team and is expected to make his debut against Al-Ittihad on Friday (September 1).