Lionel Messi reportedly branded his spell at Paris Saint-Germain as 's***', according to a former Ligue 1 opponent.
The Argentinian star, who played for PSG for two seasons, played alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Sergio Ramos and old Barcelona pal Neymar Jr – but he reportedly didn't have the best time.
Brecht Dejaegere, who has faced Messi in both French and US leagues, revealed his private interactions with the iconic footballer. Dejaegere encountered Messi in France during his time with Toulouse, and the Argentinian was still playing his football for PSG.
Their paths crossed once more when Messi's Inter Miami faced off against Dejaegere's Charlotte FC in 2023. After the match, Dejaegere asked Messi about his current stateside experience compared to his stint in France.
He said: "At the final whistle, I asked him if he felt better in Miami than in France. He was surprised, and I told him I'd played against him with Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. He didn't remember me... but it was my childhood dream come true. Messi has always been my favourite player!"
Messi then revealed that he considered his time at PSG to be 's***', after he acknowledged the disappointment of their Champions League campaigns and the ensuing backlash from supporters.
Dejaegere continued: "It was a real thrill to meet him... And so, that day, he told me that for him, PSG was 'la merda'. Yes, s*** (he bursts out laughing), because although the Parisians had been very welcoming at first, he had taken a dislike to them after the failure in the Champions League: he was getting whistled at every ball and he was fed up."
During his time at PSG, Messi secured two French Ligue 1 titles and the Trophee des Champions, but the team only managed to reach the Champions League round of 16 twice.
PSG supporters may have thought that Messi's arrival would be their ticket to finally claiming the iconic trophy, given their star-studded squad featuring big names like Mbappe, Neymar Jr and Ramos, as well as club captain Marquinhos, Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria.
However, the team suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the 2021/22 season, followed by a 3-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich the next season.
In the summer of 2023, the Argentine star made a free transfer to David Beckham's Inter Miami, where he has since added the Supporters Shield and Leagues Cup to his impressive trophy collection – scoring 30 goals in 35 games for the club.