Kylian Mbappe says that Lionel Messi's departure from Paris Saint-Germain can't be seen as "good news," defending his former team-mate from critics.
Messi, 35, has quit PSG and agreed a move to Inter Miami in the United States, a sign that he's ready to wind down his incredible career. The Argentine icon endured a difficult two years in Paris, failing to win the Champions League and coming under scrutiny from supporters over a perceived lack of commitment, but Mbappe believes that he 'deserved more respect' in the French capital.
"We are talking about potentially the greatest player in the history of football," the PSG forward, who himself has been at the centre of a transfer saga in recent days, told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's never good news when someone like Messi leaves. I don't quite understand why so many people were so relieved that he was gone. He didn't get the respect he deserved in France. It's a shame."
Messi's move has been a hotly-debated topic, with the 35-year-old opting not to rejoin Barcelona, despite holding talks with Camp Nou chiefs during the weeks prior to announcing his transfer to Inter Miami. Barca were confident about his return but Messi ultimately decided that coming back to Catalunya would prove too difficult.
"I really wanted to come back to Barcelona, I was really looking forward to it," the 35-year-old explained in an interview with Sport. "But, on the other hand, after having lived through what I lived through, after the exit I had... I didn't want to go through the same situation again and have to wait to see what was going to happen. I didn't want to leave my future in the hands of others.
"Somehow, I wanted to make my own decision for myself, for my family. Even though I heard that they said that the league had accepted everything and that everything was okay for me to come back... there were still a lot of other things missing. I heard that they had to sell players or lower the salaries of players and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor be responsible or have anything to do with all that.".
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Even Barcelona manager Xavi - his ex-team-mate - wanted the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner back at the Camp Nou, but understands Messi's decision to have a "quieter life" stateside. "I have noticed a change in him over the last few days and weeks," Xavi revealed to Jijantes. "He doesn't see things as clearly and we have to respect him.
"We often don't put ourselves in someone else's situation, we lack empathy. Being Leo Messi can't be easy. He never has any peace and has to be a 10 in everything. He has seen that he hasn't had a good time and he doesn't want this kind of pressure, it's normal. The excitement was generated because we both talked, we have talked a lot.
"We were all looking forward to it, first for him, then for me and then for the club. But the circumstances didn't work out... He wanted to lower the level of pressure and tension. He wants a quieter life."
