For the first time since he joined the club last August, Lionel Messi got to know properly the Paris Saint-Germain ultras. On Sunday, against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes, he was booed throughout the game. It didn’t matter that PSG won 3-0; Messi would have rather avoided their wrath, but it happened, and it kind of shook the football world. Here was the world’s best player, arguably the best of all time, being heckled by fans who had previously flooded the streets of the French capital to greet him.
It remains unclear if the Argentine superstar knew what was coming, or if he’d been warned that things would get ugly and he’d be whistled by his own fans. But he quickly found out. He didn’t looked too fazed by it, while his entourage don’t sound too upset about it either. But for the wider sporting audience, the fact that PSG fans booed one of the greatest players of all time every time he touched the ball was seemingly too much to take.
First, let’s remind everyone first that it’s far from the first time he’s experienced it. In the past, while on international duty with Argentina, his difficult relationship at times with the fans has led to some vocal frustration. But he would have certainly be surprised by the intensity of the protest and the fact that the boos lasted the whole game.
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The reaction from the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP), which is the supporters’ group containing the PSG ultras, was significant. For the CUP, their anger mirrored the humiliation of losing to Real Madrid last week and yet another early exit from the Champions League.
It’s no secret that Europe’s top club competition is the top goal for the club, but the latest Remontada against them clearly hurt a lot. (In the past 10 tournaments, PSG have only made it past the quarterfinal stage on two occasions, losing in the final in 2019-20 and the 2020-21…
Source : espn
