'Messi was king of the world' - Ex-Barcelona superstar defended by Giuly after 'complicated' first season at PSG

Lyon's assistant manager Ludovic Giuly hailed Messi as the 'King of the World' and backed the player despite having a lukewarm debut season for PSG.

Messi faced difficult first season in France
Giuly hailed his former Barcelona teammate
Argentine has scored five goals in the 2022/23 season

WHAT HAPPENED? After a poor debut campaign for PSG where he managed to score just 11 goals in all competitions, Messi is off to a flying start in the 2022/23 season. He has thus far netted five times in 10 outings and provided eight assists.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I always knew it would be complicated for him last season,” Giuly told Le Parisien. “When you were the king of the world in a club, and you arrive overnight in a new country and in another championship, it is never easy, even if you are the best player in the world. It takes time to absorb the change, and we saw that his first year was complicated. But I was convinced that his second season would be good because the great players always question themselves; that’s what he did."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: While the Frenchman acknowledged Messi's limitations as a player at the twilight of his career, he hailed the Argentine for still being a game-changer.

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“Certainly, it is no longer the same Messi, but the quality is still present. There remains ‘Leo’, the one who can change a match. His intelligence today is to be able to be decisive otherwise,” Giuly added. “As he is a little less on the finish, he is now on the last pass. He shows everyone that you can still evolve and change the way you play, even at 35. He is a good example for all players, young and old.”

IN THREE PHOTOS: