Latest Messi News: After a disappointing first campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi’s teammate Neymar has come to the Argentine’s defense. The Brazilian feels that it has been difficult for Messi to adjust to French football given that he played his whole senior career at Barcelona before making the move to PSG. 

This league season, Messi was unable to achieve double digits in goals scored. He only managed to score six goals while also contributing 14 assists.

What did Neymar say?

In an interview with Canal Football Club, Neymar defended Lionel Messi and discussed how difficult it is to adjust to a new league.

“Everything that you could think of, he shipped over there. It didn’t take him long to adjust to Barcelona, where he lived for many years. In other places, it may take longer here in Paris. It must be hard for him to switch teams in such a large metropolis, right? He doesn’t go alone. Even if his family only speaks a unique dialect, there are a lot of factors that end up making it difficult to communicate appropriately. It is the same as competing against players who are unable to comprehend your playing style. Therefore, it is becoming more challenging, not only for me but also for consistently hungry players. The performance of the team determines who wins trophies. We are aware of our responsibilities, which is why we need to improve,” he stated.

Latest Messi News: According to Cisse, Lionel Messi will need some time to adjust to life at PSG

Neymar is not the first person to come to Messi’s defense by arguing that the Argentine has struggled as a result of societal shifts.

Earlier on in the current campaign, Djibril Cisse voiced his unwavering support for the former Barcelona player by saying the following to L’Equipe:

“The fact that [Lionel] Messi is a human being presents challenges for him if we can even call them that. Over the course of twenty years and counting, he spent most of his productive life in Barcelona. We then remove him to a new setting, give him instructions, and tell him to do his best performance in that new setting. However, he made major changes in his life. His family has made significant life adjustments. Even if his name is [Lionel] Messi, we have to give him the time he needs to adjust. A football player’s personal life may have a significant effect on his career. In my opinion, this is not a football-related issue.”

Lionel Messi is ready for the match against Italy

In his second season with the team, Lionel Messi will be looking to get off to a strong start. He will want to contribute to their pursuit of the Champions League prize, which is the prize they most want to get.

Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, practiced on Saturday in front of 15,000 supporters at the stadium of Athletic Bilbao in northern Spain. The team is now preparing for its match against Italy in London, which will be a battle between the South American and European champions.

Argentina spent the last week doing its workouts in secret using the facilities used by the Athletic Club, located outside of the city.