Leandro Paredes has revealed that he once wound Lionel Messi up so badly during a Champions League game between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain that a fellow Argentina international was left wanting to kill him.
The incident in question occurred during a European last-16 encounter in 2021, with PSG prevailing 4-1 in the first leg of a heavyweight encounter that had seen Messi strike first from the penalty spot.
Paredes made a throwaway comment to his team-mates during that contest, but his words were overheard by a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner who left a fellow countryman wanting to “go home” as he blasted back at an on-field jibe.
What happened between Paredes and Messi?
Paredes has revealed to Caja Negra that he incurred the wrath of an illustrious compatriot during a continental clash, saying: “He got angry, because I had made a comment to my team-mates and he heard me, and he got angry.
“He became really angry. He f*cked me up. It was bad. He wanted to kill me and I wanted to go home.”
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GettyDid Messi hold a grudge against Paredes?
While Messi lost his cool in the heat of Champions League competition, any issues between him and Paredes were quickly swept under the carpet.
A midfielder that joined PSG from Zenit in the January transfer window of 2019 went on to say of his next meeting with Argentina’s talismanic captain: “Afterwards I saw him in the national team and he acted as if nothing had happened.
“He showed me what he is like as a person. The relationship continued as it was.
“Now, when the conversation comes up, we talk about it and laugh, but he was really angry at the time - he wanted to kill me!”
Paredes and Messi are now club colleagues at Parc des Princes, with the latter making a move to the French capital as a free agent in the summer of 2021.
They also continue to turn out alongside one another on an international stage, with reigning Copa America champions Argentina readying themselves for another shot at global glory when the World Cup finals head to Qatar later this year.
