An FC Barcelona star has made a big plea to Lionel Messi after the Argentine was subjected to jeers by Paris Saint-Germain supporters on the weekend.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was left visibly upset following PSG's 2-0 home defeat to Stade Rennais on Sunday, immediately storming down the tunnel after the match and refusing to acknowledge his club's supporters like most of his teammates did.
Surely he's done with Paris now? ????pic.twitter.com/4HigyqVYRT
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadRahman_) March 19, 2023
The 35-year-old had a day to forget as he failed to make an impact on proceedings and was booed by some fans before kick-off and in the second half of the match.
This will have come as no surprise to some, though, as PSG's Ultra supporters group had vowed to aim jeers at the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner before the match got underway on the weekend.
According to Mundo Deportivo, a leading member of the group said: "We will whistle at Messi this Sunday. He has too high a salary in relation to what he offers on the pitch."
Various reports have since suggested that this has cast further doubt over Messi's future in Paris, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Read: Messi urged to join LaLiga club, promised number 10 jersey
While PSG are believed to be actively pursuing a renewal for the superstar, Barca star Sergi Roberto has now insisted that it is time for Messi to cut ties with the Parisians, given how the 35-year-old is currently being treated, and wants him back in Catalonia.
"I hope Messi returns to Barca," Roberto told Jijantes FC after Barcelona's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
"We are waiting for him.
"He doesn't deserve the treatment he's getting in Paris."
With reports suggesting that retaining Messi's services does not appeal to some of the team's fans and members of the club, former Bayern Munich star Bixente Lizarazu has made a case for why the South American forward should sign an extension in France.
"I'm going against the grain, but I want to see Messi extend his stay in Paris for another year," he told Telefoot.
"I want us to still have the privilege of seeing him in France. He is the greatest player in history, at least in 20 years.
"He showed at the World Cup that he can still play at a very high level; yes, he was disappointing against Bayern, but like the whole PSG team.
"The question now is whether he still has that motivation to win the Champions League with Paris or bring something great to PSG.
"Only he can answer these questions. But, me, as a football fan, I still want to see him, one more year, in Paris."
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