Paris Saint-Germain chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has explained why Lionel Messi was not celebrated by the French club following his World Cup triumph last year.
Messi scored twice in the final as Argentina defeated France to win the tournament.
“I was the only player of the 25 that didn’t get a [club] recognition.
“It was understandable … because of us [Argentina], they [France] didn’t retain the World Cup,” Messi said.
However, Al-Khalaifi has denied Messi’s version of the story.
“As everyone saw, because we even published a video, we celebrated Messi in training, and we also celebrated him in private.
“But with respect, we are a French club. It was, of course, sensitive to celebrate at the stadium. We must respect the country he defeated, his teammates on the France team, and our supporters too,” Al-Khalaifi told reporters.