How Messi Is Impressing PSG Teammates In Training
19 August, 2021
With a week having passed since Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, how he has been impressing his new teammates on the training ground has now seemingly revealed.
Click through the gallery above to see some images of Messi's first week at the French giants!
Usually, when a high-profile footballer arrives at a new club, the players at said club raise their own levels of performance to show the arriving player how good they are.
It is not a response charged by ego, but one that is rather complimentary to the arriving player, which, in this case, is Messi. Those aiming to impress him, meanwhile, are the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Marco Verratti and Marquinhos.
According to French football journalist Julien Laurens, it has been an incredibly positive first week in Paris for Messi, who has been blown away with the reception he has received since landing in the country last Tuesday.
This past Monday was reportedly the first time the 34-year-old was able to participate in a collective training session with his new colleagues, with Laurens writing for ESPN that: "Even short of match fitness and after not having kicked a ball for more than a month since Argentina's Copa America win, Messi was amazing, impressing everyone.
"He was the 'free player' in the main training drill, which meant he was playing for both teams during the little matches. It all looked easy to him, but he was fantastic."
A source, also discussing Messi's early impact on the training ground at PSG, told ESPN: "Everyone wants to show him how good they are. Even in rondos, you can see the difference. He has lifted the level up and the buzz around the place is also incredible."
When will he make his PSG debut?
It is thought that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner could appear for PSG for the first time on 29 August, when they take on Stade Reims in a Ligue 1 clash away from home.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za