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Lionel Messi was booed by a section of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans at the Parc des Princes in the 1-0 Ligue 1 loss against Lyon on Monday (April 3).
According to L'Equipe (h/t FourFourTwo), fans are disgruntled with the Argentine icon, as he's not expected to renew his contract in Paris. He could leave as a free agent this summer, and a return to Barcelona has been heavily touted.
As per journalist Santi Aouna (h/t @AlbicelesteTalk), Messi and his camp are prioritising a return to the Blaugrana and have rebuffed multiple contract extension offers from PSG. Barcelona have also set the wheels in motion to fit him in their bloated wage bill.
They're apparently willing to do everything it takes to bring Messi back to the Camp Nou, which has increased his desire to seal a return to Catalonia. PSG fans are seemingly unhappy with that, and the club's loss against Lyon only added to their frustration.
After the game, former France international Thierry Henry called out PSG fans for their 'embarrassing' act of booing Messi, though:
"It’s embarrassing to hear whistles from the Parc. You can’t whistle one of the best players on the team, who has 13 goals and 13 assists this season. Personally, I would like to see him finish his career at Barcelona, in Europe"
Lionel Messi has 29 goals and 32 assists in 67 games across competitions for PSG since joining them in the summer of 2021. However, he hasn't managed a goal contribution in four UEFA Champions League knockout games for the Parisians.
Lyon defeat dent PSG's Ligue 1 title hopes despite Lionel Messi's best efforts
Lionel Messi played the full 90 minutes against Lyon as PSG slumped to their fifth Ligue 1 loss this season, their second straight at home.
Despite not managing to score or assist, he was arguably their best player on the field, creating five chances, attempting three shots and having 98 touches. No one on the pitch managed more.
He also completed four of six dribbles he attempted and was visibly PSG's main threat on the pitch. Hence, the manager would have barely had anything to be unhappy with his performance on the pitch.
Winning the league is considered the bare minimum at the club, having won it eight times in the last ten seasons. However, it will be akin to a consolation prize after being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 last month against Bayern Munich.
The loss against Lyon means Lionel Messi and Co. are still just six points clear atop Ligue 1 with nine games to go.
