LIONEL MESSI claims PSG treated him poorly after he led Argentina to World Cup final glory over France.
Messi reckons he was the only player in Argentina’s 26-man squad not properly “recognised” by their clubs when they returned from Qatar.
GettyLionel MessI admits he struggled to be happy in Paris and feels PSG failed to adequately ‘recognise’ him following Argentina’s World Cup triumph[/caption]
GettyMessi was, however, presented with a trophy by team-mates and club staff when he returned to training with PSG in the first week of January[/caption]
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, 36, has also revealed having “a rift with a large section of the Paris crowd”.
Messi eventually joined David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the summer after two unsettled seasons at PSG.
But he’s not forgotten how the French champions reacted to Argentina’s shootout success over France after a 3-3 draw in the final last December.
PSG strike partner Kylian Mbappe notched a late hat-trick in an astonishing climax to that showpiece but still lost out.
Messi’s club team-mates did give him a guard of honour when he reported back to training two weeks later.
But the ex-Barcelona maestro told Olga: “I was the only player that didn’t receive recognition from the club compared to my 25 other team-mates.”
It’s thought PSG were worried about how their fans would respond to a ceremony on the pitch hailing the man most responsible for France just coming up short at the World Cup.
And there’s talk the Ligue 1 giants were wary of upsetting Mbappe.
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In contrast, Messi’s fellow Argentina heroes Lisandro Martinez and Alex Mac Allister have praised the whole-hearted receptions they received from their Premier League clubs.
Manchester United defender Martinez posted on social media in January: “No words… Thank you to Old Trafford, my team-mates and the staff for this amazing reception.”
And midfielder Mac Allister, who has since departed Brighton for Liverpool, said it was “amazing” to share his triumph with Seagulls’ club-mates by lifting the trophy in training.