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OGC Nice manager Christophe Galtier has heaped praise on Lionel Messi ahead of his side's game against PSG.
The Frenchman was asked about Lionel Messi's arrival in Ligue 1 and what it meant to the league and country as a whole.
Lionel Messi has caught flack for not performing to the level expected of a player of his stature during his tenure at PSG so far. However, Galtier believes that the Argentine should be allowed time to adapt to the league. He said in this regard:
"Messi has spent 99% of his career in a club. He arrived at 13 years old at FC Barcelona. It is normal for him to take some time to adapt to his club, his partners, to the game model, to his life. Maybe it was difficult against Saint-Etienne. The playing conditions were not easy for him."
Lionel Messi assisted all three of PSG's goals in the 3-1 victory against Saint Etienne last time out. However, apart from a few glimpses, the Argentine has been a shadow of the player he was at Barcelona.
"It will be a real pleasure to see him" - Galtier on Lionel Messi ahead of Nice's clash against PSG
Galtier also spoke about how excited he was to see Lionel Messi play in person on Wednesday. However, he also exclaimed that he did not want the Argentina superstar to turn up against Nice. He explained:
"On set pieces, he drops the balls where they need to be. It will be a real pleasure to see him. We are privileged in France to have this player in our championship. I enjoy watching it. I hope we won't see him too much on Wednesday night. I dare to hope that my players will not watch him play."
The game against Nice will be Lionel Messi's first since being awarded the Ballon d'Or. The Argentine beat out the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho to claim his record-extending 7th Ballon d'Or. The Argentine will certainly want to put in a strong performance for PSG following his historic victory.
