Is Lionel Messi suspension a 'turning point’ for PSG - and what's next for Ligue 1 club? – Inside Europe
Updated 03/05/2023 at 18:19 GMT
PSG’s season is rapidly unravelling having already being knocked out of the Champions League and now at risk of losing the Ligue 1 title to Marseille as well. Plus there are issues off the field with Lionel Messi being suspended by the club for what they felt was an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia. Vincent Bregevin joins Pete Sharland to dig into the situation.
Xavi 'can't go into details' on what Messi suspension means for his future
There’s never a dull moment when PSG are concerned.
The French capital club can’t be normal for just five minutes. On Saturday the Ligue 1 champions were beaten 3-1 by Lorient at home and that stunning result (the first time under the QSI ownership they were beaten at home in the league and let in three goals) combined with another win for Marseille saw the gap at the top of the table reduced to just five points.
This comes hot on the heels of another disappointing exit from the Champions League and with further intense speculation about the future of star striker Kylian Mbappe.
Another of their superstars, Lionel Messi, travelled to Saudi Arabia after the defeat to Lorient for some promotional work, a trip he thought that was going to be okay with the club, only they had adjusted the schedule and subsequently it was not okay.
As a result Messi has now been suspended for two weeks, with reports persisting that he will leave PSG upon the expiration of his contract and will return to former club Barcelona.
In order to find out more about what is going on in Paris we got in touch with Vincent Bregevin from Eurosport France.
Firstly, we asked Bregevin what on earth is going on with the actual football on the pitch and whether PSG could lose the title.
“PSG have actually been playing poorly since the start of the new year,” says Bregevin.
“And the fact they were unable to even compete with Bayern [in the Champions League last 16] was just a proof of that. There are individual issues. Some players are not at the same level as they were before the World Cup, especially Messi, Neymar, who got injured once again, and even Mbappe.
“The same could be said for players who did not play at the World Cup, and [Marco] Verratti is the best example of this. But the real point is collective - and lack of collective - balance was clear even before the World Cup, it just became worse after it.
The players seemed to have checked out mentally, even before the loss against Bayern.
“They just never show any intensity, concentration and defensive discipline in games, and the win at Marseille was actually the exception instead of the rule.
“They also have no plan B in attack when offensive stars are below par like right now and the midfielders don't take any responsibilities to compensate for that. Lorient played well enough to exploit this, but PSG were quite lucky in their three victories before this game. They already had six losses in Ligue 1 in 2023, but it could have been worse considering their level of play.”
Bregevin goes on to say that some of the issues go back to the start of the season where the team was constructed poorly.
“There were promises at the start of the season, but they were broken as quickly as they were made.
“Firstly, the team was poorly built last summer, with a ton of midfielders but almost no obvious solution attack and defence when they are down a starter, as they missed both targets in those areas (Milan Skriniar and Robert Lewandowski).
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Christophe Galtier
Image credit: Getty Images
“Also, there are almost only central players in this team, Mbappe is basically the only one that looks like a winger and he's not a winger.
"Christophe Galtier has tried many different systems but never found a good one to balance his team. Messi and Neymar were playing so well that they were hiding PSG weaknesses most of the time in the first part of the season, but the truth came out when they crashed back to earth after the World Cup. PSG's coach made mistakes, but I think sporting director Luis Campos take most of responsibility.”
And what about Messi? Where do we go from here? And how big a deal is this to see him suspended like this?
“Messi's trip to Saudi Arabia after a loss in Ligue 1, and without permission of the club, was enough to show the true nature of the troubles with discipline at PSG.
“But they reacted immediately and strongly, giving him a two-week suspension according to reliable reports from L’Equipe, RMC and AFP. Messi won’t play and won’t be paid for that period.
At this point, it’s unlikely he will play for PSG again, and almost certain he will leave the club at the end of his contract in June.
“It’s definitely the biggest call in the QSI era. There have been some sanctions for players in the past, but not strong enough to make the club respected by the players.
“Of course, you have to wonder if Messi was a bit of an ‘easy’ target, as he was more likely to leave at the end of his contract, and he’s an example of the PSG star system that many fans are rejecting.
“But still, he’s one of the greatest players all time. So this might be a turning point for PSG as an institution…as long as it’s not just a one-off.”
So is this the biggest crisis PSG have faced under the QSI ownership?
“I would not say this yet.” Bregevin replies. “Crisis is always part of PSG's life, and there were quite similar crisis after Madrid's loss last season, or after incredible knock-out games against Manchester United and Barcelona.
“But for sure, it's already one of the biggest crises of the QSI era, and the reaction to Messi’s trip to Saudi Arabia tells a lot about this. And it will definitely be the biggest one if they fail to win the title.”
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Luis Campos
Image credit: Getty Images
Then looking ahead what happens this summer? This has the feel of a pivotal summer right?
“Yes it is the feeling. The Champions League has been symbolic and the loss against Bayern was not as unbelievable like previous ties against Real Madrid, Manchester City or Barcelona, but it's almost even worse because it showed PSG couldn't battle with a Bayern team that was not at their best.
“People in Paris are fed up with this team, they're upset with the lack of quality football and lack of commitment from the players.
“Overall, the recruitment strategy targeting big stars has showed its limits, as well as the signings of average players like Fabian Ruiz, Carlos Soler, Renato Sanches, and Vitinha in previous windows. Also, more and more fans want this board to resign because they don’t agree with their decision overall and don’t recognise themselves in this team anymore.
“Concerning players and who could stay or go, Mbappe might stay, maybe for his last season, Verratti has extended his contract and Marquinhos is about to do the same. PSG want to sell Neymar, but Neymar wants to stay and it will be hard to find a club ready to pay his wages for a an injury prone player.
"Sergio Ramos has been a rare positive this season, and he might extend for a short-term period. But nothing is really set in stone, even for Campos even if he's already working for the summer transfers. It's very unlikely Galtier will stay, but it also depends on his replacement. It's hard for any potential new coach to buy into Paris project, so it may be hard to convince someone to take the job.”
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