The incident that Paredes recalls took place in March last year. At that time, Messi was still active in Barcelona, which played in the eighth finals of the Champions League against PSG. In the first match, the Catalans got loaded at home and retired to Paris in an unflattering state 1: 4. The star Argentine turned the penalty in the first match and sent his team to the lead in the first half.
–
The second match was more balanced in the Park of Princes, the teams parted with a draw 1: 1, which, however, with a total score of 5: 2, clearly ensured the Parisians progress to the quarterfinals. At that time, Barcelona’s goal was scored again by none other than Messi.
–
Twenty-seven-year-old Paredes now remembered that he had crossed out with Messi during the match. “He was upset because I said something to my teammates and he heard me and he was upset,” he said. But he didn’t say exactly what he was talking about. “He was really angry. It was bad.
–
Both players saw each other briefly in the national team, but after any mutual animosity, I can’t see or hear. “It simply came to our notice then. He showed me what a person he is. Now that it comes down to it, we’re talking about it and we’re laughing at it, but then he was really angry – he wanted to kill me! “Paredes repeated again. A few months later, the national team teammates also became teammates.
–
Paredes transferred from Zenit St. Petersburg to PSG in 2019 and played 22 matches for the club last season. Messi signed for the Paris team last summer and have since played 34 matches, in which, however, he scored only eleven times and thus remained below expectations.
—
