Crime of lèse-majesté, the seven-time Ballon d'Or was again whistled by the Parc des Princes during the defeat against Lyon (1-0).

Already last year, after the elimination against Real Madrid in the 1/8 final of the Champions League, he was spectacularly booed. Like Neymar.

Messi had been spared after the new defeat against Bayern Munich in early March, but against Lyon, the stadium frankly complained.

In the eyes of many supporters, the "Pulga" symbolizes the bad choices of the management, more political and marketing than sports.

Admittedly, fielding one of the best players in history has drawn the eyes of the whole world to PSG, but in the game he has only too sparingly distributed his strokes of genius.

Brilliant before the World Cup, Messi is much less so with the red and blue jersey since he finally won the Grail, at his fifth attempt, against the France of Kylian Mbappe.

But the majesty at PSG, now, is "Kyky", not Messi.

The question arises within the Parisian management to keep a player who will be 36 years old at the end of his contract, which weighs 40 million euros per year on the payroll of a club closely monitored by financial fair play.

Salary reduction

According to an internal source, the club could offer a slight pay cut to its N.30, which would encourage him to leave.

Several destinations are available to him, between returning to Barcelona, who dreams of it but does not have the means to align financially, joining his rival Cristiano Ronaldo for a gold-plated contract in Saudi Arabia, or talking about North American MLS at Inter Miami as he made talk about Ligue 1.

© FRANCK FIFE / AFP

But the future of the world champion is not the only question mark of PSG.

Coach Christophe Galtier is stepping away from a retention in his position as his team's performance deteriorates.

After having long protected his players in his communication, the technician regretted the "resignation" that wins his team and evoked the "cold anger" that wins him to make this observation.

"We must react quickly, not believe that things will be done in a natural way," says Galtier.

"Everyone, I mean everyone, starting from me, must become aware of the situation and the work we have to do" because the title is no longer guaranteed, despite six points ahead of Lens, who comes to the Parc in a fortnight, and Marseille, nine days from the end.

"Christophe will make it"

"I don't blame my players, this group has been able to perform well all the first half of the season, it's much more difficult in the second half," he added, but he believes in them because "they are champions".

The coach received the support of his friend Laurent Blanc, with whom he was European Espoirs champion in 1988.

"Christophe will get there," says the Lyon coach, especially "because at some point the pride of the players takes over. Paris is in the middle of this delicate moment, but it will come back."

© STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

Former of the house (2013-2016), dismissed when he had just been champion of France and had extended, Blanc has no trouble putting himself in the place of Galtier.

"I know a little bit about the place, the club..." sighs the Cévenol. "The problem in Paris is that when the number one goal is no longer attainable, it seems that the season no longer exists, at all levels. That's the way it is."

"We feel it, we perceive it: the Champions League continues, everything is fine. She stops and it's all over. We are talking about next season, it is very difficult to remobilize the players, because the environment is difficult, it goes in all directions. It's hard to bear, but Christophe will get there," he insists.

© 2023 AFP