May 21, (THEWILL) – The captain of Paris Saint-Germain, Marquinhos, has called on the club’s dedicated fanbase, to refrain from booing Lionel Messi, as the Argentine maestro’s departure from the French capital looms at the end of the season.
As Messi’s two-year contract with PSG nears its conclusion, negotiations for a new deal have hit a deadlock, leaving the player’s future uncertain. Rumoured to be interested in returning to his former club, Barcelona, where he spent more than two decades, Messi is now a subject of great interest from Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, who present formidable competition for the Catalans.
Despite financial constraints, Barcelona is reportedly “hugely confident.” While the Catalans cannot match the lucrative offer of €400 million per year from Saudi Arabia, the officials at Camp Nou are sparing no effort to make room for Messi’s return on their wage bill.
However, for the time being, Messi remains a PSG player and has recently faced disapproval from supporters. During PSG’s resounding 5-0 victory over Ajaccio last weekend, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was booed at Parc des Princes, reflecting the fans’ discontent. With an upcoming match against Auxerre on Sunday night, Marquinhos has issued a warning to fans, urging them not to target Messi or any other individual player.
In an interview ahead of the fixture, Marquinhos emphasised the importance of collective support: “I always respect protests when they are peaceful, at the times and places where it is necessary. Above all, I ask the supporters not to target one player or another. It must always be collective. A player doesn’t walk on his own, he’s not going to do anything on his own.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
