Lionel Messi Snubs Pochettino Handshake After Being Subbed Off During PSG Clash
- Lionel Messi has endured a difficult start to life since his much-hyped transfer to PSG
- The Argentine is yet to open his goal account for the French giants in three appearances for the side
- He made his first Ligue 1 start for PSG against Lyon but failed to have any impact
- He was subsequently subbed off in favour of Mauro Icardi who went on to score the winner for PSG
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Lionel Messi was clearly not impressed on the evening of Sunday, September 19, after he was substituted during Paris Saint-Germain's 2-1 narrow win over Lyon.
This was Messi's first Ligue 1 start for PSG since his stunning move to the club in the summer from Barcelona.
Source: UGC
He was paired alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the attack for the second time, but the trio once again failed to impress.
With 15 minutes left on the clock and PSG chasing a winner, Pochettino cut short Messi's home debut by withdrawing him and replacing the Argentine with Mauro Icardi.
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The tactical change went on to pay off as Icardi came off the bench to grab the winner as the tie ended 2-1 in favour of PSG.
However, Messi was evidently upset with Pochettino's decision to substitute him and even snubbed the manager's offer of a handshake as he gave him an angry face.
Despite the fanfare that surrounded his arrival in the French capital, Messi has struggled to settle down with things not going according to plan on the pitch.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner remains goalless in three of his appearances for PSG thus far and failed to help them secure victory over a stubborn Club Brugge side during the Champions League.
Fans react to Messi being let down by PSG teammates during clash with Club Brugge
In other news, Briefly News recently reported that Lionel Messi's first game for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League against Club Brugge and could only make little impact in the 1-1 draw, Sport Bible.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner made a sensational move to Parc des Princes and much has been expected of him so far.
The Argentine seemed not to be getting along with his teammates on the pitch as the French side who have been tagged favourites did not look threatening enough.
Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za
