Ex-PSG Director Leonardo Explains Messi’s Difficult Paris Spell and Challenges of Managing Star-Heavy Squad
Leonardo says Lionel Messi’s PSG stint was complicated by misunderstandings and a star-packed squad difficult to manage.
Former Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has broken his silence on Lionel Messi's challenging two-year tenure at the Ligue 1 powerhouse, attributing the Argentine icon's struggles to a mix of emotional upheaval, high expectations, and tactical mismatches rather than outright unhappiness. In a candid interview with RMC Sport's After Foot programme on November 19, 2025, Leonardo—who orchestrated Messi's blockbuster free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2021—reflected on the period as one marked by "a lot of misunderstanding". He emphasised that Messi's heart remained with the Catalan club after two decades there, making PSG a reluctant but logical next step amid Barcelona's financial woes. "It was difficult for him. He had been in the same place for 20 years, and then you moved. Saying he wasn’t happy is a way of defending himself," Leonardo noted, pointing to the humiliating 2021-22 Champions League last-16 exit to Real Madrid—where a late collapse saw PSG squander a 2-0 aggregate lead—as a pivotal low point that amplified external pressures. Despite the turbulence, Leonardo expressed no regrets over the signing, crediting Messi's arrival alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé for elevating the club's global stature and commercial appeal during his 2019-2022 stint.
Messi's integration into PSG's star-studded attack—reuniting him with ex-Barça teammate Neymar and pairing him with Mbappé—was billed as the ultimate offensive trinity, poised to shatter the Champions League drought that has haunted the Qatari-backed project since 2011. Yet, the trio's alchemy faltered under coaches Mauricio Pochettino and Christophe Galtier, yielding back-to-back Ligue 1 titles (2021-22 and 2022-23) but no deeper European runs, with early knockouts against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich exposing defensive frailties and midfield imbalances. Messi contributed 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 appearances across all competitions, but his form dipped amid adaptation issues, including a brief COVID-19 hiatus and family adjustments in Paris. Fan frustration peaked in his final season, culminating in boos after a March 2023 loss to Bayern, which Messi later described in a March 2023 Apple Music interview as emblematic of a city that "did not receive me well." Leonardo, however, framed these as symptoms of broader narrative distortions, insisting the club "benefited greatly" from the era's visibility boost.
Leonardo is not alone in dissecting the PSG experiment's pitfalls; former midfielder Rafinha Alcântara, who overlapped with Messi during the 2020-2022 window, offered a scathing assessment on the Charla Podcast in October 2025, labelling the squad an "impossible" managerial nightmare from day one. Drawing from preseason observations, Rafinha highlighted the ego clashes and rotation dilemmas: "Let’s start with the goalkeeper: Keylor Navas or Donnarumma. Whoever doesn’t play will be furious." He extended the critique to the defence—Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, and Sergio Ramos as untouchables—and the front line: Ángel Di María, Mbappé, Neymar, and Messi, quipping, "Who do you take off? Di María, for his weight within the team, and even then, he’s not a player you can take off. It can’t work." As a peripheral squad member sidelined by injury, Rafinha watched the "best team in the world in terms of players and names" unravel due to unmanageable talent density, echoing critiques from ex-PSG figures like Pochettino, who in 2024 admitted the group's "individual brilliance" often trumped collective cohesion.
Also Read: PSG Posts Small Loss Despite Champions League Triumph, Nears Break-Even Mark
The fallout from Messi's PSG chapter extended beyond the pitch, straining relations with supporters and media while underscoring the perils of galáctico-style recruitment in modern football. His 2023 departure to Inter Miami—initially on a two-year deal—marked a seismic shift to Major League Soccer, where the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has since authored a fairy-tale revival. Securing the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters' Shield, Messi shattered records en route to MLS MVP honours and a staggering 71 goals with 37 assists in 82 outings by late 2025. Yet, playoff heartbreaks, including a stunning 2024 first-round ouster to Atlanta United despite a league-best 69 points, mirrored PSG's unfulfilled promise, fuelling debates on whether Messi's genius thrives best in symbiotic systems rather than overloaded rosters.
On October 23, 2025, Messi inked a lucrative three-year extension with Inter Miami, committing through the 2028 season and quashing rumours of a Barcelona homecoming or Saudi switch. The deal, reportedly exceeding $20 million annually in guaranteed pay plus endorsements, aligns with the club's relocation to the 25,000-seat Miami Freedom Park in 2026, where Messi aims to "inaugurate this dream" stadium. Capping a blistering 2025 regular season as Golden Boot winner with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 games—despite ankle woes—he positions Miami as frontrunners for their first MLS Cup, opening playoffs against Nashville SC on November 21. As Leonardo's reflections resurface amid PSG's ongoing rebuild under Luis Enrique—fresh off a 2025 Champions League triumph without the old guard—the narrative shifts to Messi's American odyssey, a testament to resilience that has ballooned Inter Miami's valuation to $1.19 billion and MLS attendance to record highs.
Also Read: Lionel Messi’s Brace Propels Inter Miami into MLS Cup Playoffs Second Round
