Lionel Messi is having trouble finding his feet at Paris Saint-Germain, and his recent trip away from the French capital may have provided an explanation why.
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Since the Argentine forward made his controversial move from Barcelona to Paris, he has seemingly found it hard to find the form that made him a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Despite winning the Golden Ball in November and coming second for The Best FIFA Men’s Player prize last month, Messi’s form has waned since he began plying his trade in Ligue 1, having found the back of the net just once in 12 league games.
The 2021 Copa America winner has had to deal with a number of injury setbacks during his short time with the Parisians to date, while he also only recently recovered from a positive case of COVID-19.
According to El Confidencial, Messi’s on-field issues are a by-product of his struggle to acclimatise to life in Paris.
It is claimed that he and his family are yet to speak French fluently, while they dislike France’s cold and rainy weather compared to Barcelona’s sunny climate.
This has previously been backed up by Luis Suarez, Messi’s former Barca teammate and close friend, who stated in December that the Argentina captain told him he was « suffering » in Paris.
It is also said that Messi misses his old home in Barcelona, which had a its own football pitch, a swimming pool and big backyard, as well as views of the mountains and sea.
The 34-year-old is also understood to have been surprised at the level of Ligue 1 and how physical the French top flight is.
It is suggested that this is why Messi flew out to the Catalan capital last week, to recapture the nostalgic feel of Barcelona, a city he is seemingly missing.
Having been seen out dining with current Barcelona head coach Xavi for the Spaniard’s birthday last Tuesday, this was the first time the former Barca captain had been back to Spain since making his shock exit from the Camp Nou.
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