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Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi reportedly aimed harsh criticism at his then-teammate Vitinha during a training session in early 2023, leading to the midfielder wanting to leave the French club. Vitinha had signed for PSG from Porto in July 2022, a year after Messi joined the club in August 2021.
The midfielder did not perform up to expectations in his first season at Parc de Princes, leading to brutal criticism from fans and pundits alike. According to French outlet L'Equipe, Lionel Messi once lost his calm over Vitinha during a 2023 training session. He reportedly said:
"Not only are you bad, but you’re also hurting me."
The outlet reported that Messi's comments almost led to Vitinha departing the club but he was convinced by teammate Danilo Pereira to stay.
After Messi's departure from PSG in the summer of 2023, Vitinha was able to adapt to the team under new coach Luis Enrique. He improved his form drastically in the 2023-24 season, winning the Ligue 1, Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions with PSG.
During Messi's two-year stint in Paris between 2021 and 2023, the Argentine shared the pitch with Vitinha 39 times. They did not record any joint-goal contributions.
"We lived through hell" - When Neymar claimed Lionel Messi and he faced difficult times at PSG
Shortly after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi's friend and former teammate, Neymar Jr, revealed that the pair had a tough time in Paris. The Brazilian was happy about Messi's success with Argentina in the World Cup but was upset about the treatment he received with the Ligue 1 giants.
Neymar told Globo Esporte in September 2023:
"We lived through hell in Paris. We are there [in Paris] to give our best and be champions, to try to make history, that's why we started to play together again, we got together there to make history."
He continued:
"Unfortunately, we didn't make it, he went to heaven with Argentina, I was very happy for him, but in Paris, he went through hell. In my opinion, he was unfairly judged in Paris, he had an exit that, from a footballing point of view, he didn't deserve."
Lionel Messi and Neymar played together at Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 before the Brazilian joined Paris St-Germain for a record €222 million deal in the summer of 2017. Leo Messi joined his former teammate at the Parc des Princes as a free agent in August 2021.
In the summer of 2023, both superstars left Ligue 1 to join Al-Hilal and Inter Miami, respectively.
