By Yara Hassan | Staff Writer
Last summer, Lionel Messi stunned the football world when he announced his departure from Barcelona for a new challenge in the French capital, after more than 20 years with the Catalan giants. As for Messi, who signed a two-year contract last August, with the option of a third, the adventure he envisaged did not include being booed with every touch in home matches. The majority of the stadium was tuned into the soundtrack by the third minute of Paris Saint- Germain’s 3-0 win against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes last week. If Messi or Neymar had the ball, there would be booing.
After a delayed club debut, Messi has only scored twice in 18 matches in Ligue 1, and the odds of him failing to reach the 20-goal mark in a domestic league are growing. It will be a first for Messi since the 2007-08 season.
But the main problem was how PSG have underachieved in the competition that matters most – the Champions League. Last week, they had been knocked out thanks to a dramatic turnaround from 2-0 up with half an hour left of their tie against Real Madrid last week. PSG finished up 3-2 losers over the two legs. Messi’s performance in both legs was considered poor, after missing a penalty in the first one and getting a rating of 3/10 for the second leg, it’s safe to say fans weren’t happy.
Apart from the Champions League exit at the Santiago Bernabeu, PSG has also been eliminated from the French Cup, meaning Messi will have very little important football to play in the last months of the season.
Messi hasn’t appeared to be enjoying his football as much as he was at the Nou Camp, leading to speculation about how long his stay in Ligue 1 will be. We’ve heard the first rumblings about what’s next for the Argentine star this week. There seem to be three options: a return to FC Barcelona, another year at PSG, or a move to MLS. He could possibly return to Barcelona for one more year before heading to MLS. However, it’s understood that going to MLS or staying one more year at PSG are more probable options than going back to the Camp Nou.