January 11, (THEWILL) – Due to a potentially negative response from fans, Paris Saint-Germain has chosen not to allow Lionel Messi to parade the World Cup trophy he won with Argentina against France last month.
On Wednesday, PSG plays Angers in Ligue 1 at Parc des Princes and Messi is expected to play in his first match since Argentina defeated France on December 18, 2022, World Cup final in Qatar.
Le Parisien noted that the 35-year-old would not be permitted to display the trophy on the club’s property, as is frequently the practice for champions, who return to the club victorious. This is largely due to worries that PSG supporters may boo and react negatively to any such parade.
THEWILL recalls that Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Albiceleste, has been pilloried by French football fans for what they considered his ill-treatment of Kylian Mbappe prior to and after the final and some of these fans might be in the stadium to target jeers at Messi.
Martinez celebrated their victory with a baby doll that had a semblance of Mbappe’s face attached during Argentina’s homecoming open-top parade in Buenos Aires with Messi doing nothing to stop the goalkeeper even if he was nearby. It led many French supporters to attack the PSG player and the club is interested in avoiding another occasion for negativity.
About the Author
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.
