"Time to show that we have character" - Kimpembe says he understands why PSG fans booed Lionel Messi and Neymar
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Presnel Kimpembe has spoken about fans booing Lionel Messi and Neymar in their 3-0 win against Bordeaux on Saturday. He stated that he understood the fans' frustrations and the reason behind their booing.
The French giants returned from their heartbreak in the Champions League midweek with a solid win in Ligue 1. They registered a 3-0 win over Bordeaux to open up a gap of 15 points against second-placed Marseille.
However, PSG fans made their feelings for the players clearly evident as they booed their own players despite the win. Messi and Neymar particularly got backlash from the fans but their striker partner Kylian Mbappe got cheers from the Parisian faithful.
PSG crashed out of the Champions League midweek at the hands of Real Madrid and the fans did not take it kindly. Mbappe scored two goals in two legs to put the French side 2-0 ahead until the 60th minute of the second leg. However, a 17-minute hat-trick from Karim Benzema turned the game on its head.
Messi and Neymar both flattered to decieve in both legs for PSG, with the former even missing a penalty in the first leg.
Boos for Lionel Messi and Neymar around Le Parc des Princes 😳 https://t.co/KRyaHTJLLk
While addressing the press after the game, PSG defender Kimpembe gave him take on the booing at Amazon Prime Video, as quoted by Get Football News France:
“Inevitably we hear the whistles, even if we’re focused and concentrated on our match. We understand their disappointment, we understand their hatred."
The 26-year-old has also urged fans to get behind the team as he believes it was a collective failure for everyone at the club rather than of individuals:
"We’re professional, we know how to stay so too, and it’s now that we must raise our heads and be able to move forward in order to win Ligue 1… We are all at fault, no one more than anyone else," the French international continued.
He continued:
"We are a team, we must stick together through good and bad. It’s time to show that we have character and that we’re a team by staying united and strong together, even if it’s hard, very hard.”
PSG have had an underwhelming season so far after heavy expectations following their highly productive summer transfer window. They have been knocked out of three competitions - the Champions League, Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions.
However, they look set to win their eighth Ligue 1 title in 10 years following their impressive displays in the league.
PSG's ambitious plan of building a star-studded squad with Lionel Messi and Neymar has clearly failed
Since PSG's mega takeover in 2011 by Qatari Sports Investments (QSI), the French giants have been consistently in the pursuit of building a team of superstars.
They have had big names like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Mbappe play for them. They broke the transfer world record when they acquired Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million.
#Messi
Lionel Messi’s getting booed by some Paris Saint-Germain fans during today’s game vs Bordeaux, still disappointed after UCL fiasco. Same for Neymar. ⚠️ #Messi
Kind of unreal situation for Leo, never experienced before. https://t.co/US5ZvUtvtH
Last year, they arguably had the best summer transfer window of all time, bringing in names like Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi.
They have been able to become the dominant force in French football with all their investment but Champions League glory has eluded them. They came closest in 2020, losing in the final to Bayern Munich.
With Mbappe set to depart in the summer, they might need to build their squad from scratch once again. They might also have to do that under a new manager, with Mauricio Pochettino also likely to be gone as per another report from Get Football News France.