Lionel Messi on Wednesday hailed the Paris Saint-Germain supporters for their raucous response to his arrival at the Parc des Princes.
During his official presentation Messi said he was surprised to find fans waiting for him at Le Bourget airport to the north of Paris on Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds more lined the streets outside the Hopital Américain in the western suburb of Neuilly where he had his medical on Tuesday evening.
And on Wednesday thousands more gathered outside the Parc des Princes to salute a player who had spent his entire career at Barcelona.
“I’d like to thank the fans for their warm welcome,” said the 34-year-old Argentine.
Lionel Messi salue les supporters venus l'accueillir au Parc des Princes 😍
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) August 11, 2021
On vous laisse apprécier !#PSGxMESSI pic.twitter.com/txdJ3viry6
Surprise
“It was a surprise. I’m delighted to be here at PSG and I’m keen to win more prizes with this ambitious club. The fans really were the icing on the cake.”
During his time at Barcelona, Messi won 35 titles including four Champions League crowns, one of the pieces of silverware absent from the PSG trophy cabinet.
“It’s our goal,” said PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi who sat beside Messi during a 35-minute press conference at the Parc des Princes.
“It’s not a secret that the Champions League is a title that we want to win," added al-Khelaïfi
Ambition
"But for the moment our focus is on Ligue 1 and when the Champions League starts next month, we’ll be concentrated and take it match by match.”
Messi, who last won the trophy in 2015, added: "It's not always the best team that wins the Champions League ... you need a bit of luck and that's what makes it so special."
Despite such intangibles, Messi’s arrival will increase the pressure on PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino to deliver success in European club football's most prestigious tournament.
Pressure
The Argentine took over from Thomas Tuchel in January and steered PSG past Barcelona and Bayern Munich to the semi-finals of the 2021 tournament where they were outclassed by Manchester City.
And though PSG won the French Super Cup and the Coupe de France, the campaign was deemed a failure especially with Lille pipping PSG to the Ligue 1 crown.
This season Pochettino will be expected to harvest all the domestic baubles via a strike force comprising Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé - three of the world’s best players. Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi will be waiting in the wings.
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Quality
The PSG midfield has been bolstered by the arrival of the Netherlands skipper Gini Wijnaldum and the former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has been drafted in to add muscle to the defence along with Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan.
“PSG is a very accomplished teams,” added Messi. “There are great players in all the positions and I am looking forward to playing with the best.
“I want to win things and with this ambitious club I am ready to fight for new titles.”
Last Sunday, Messi broke down and cried during a press conference in Barcelona to confirm his departure from the club after 21 years.
Emotions
On Wednesday, dressed slickly in a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, he responded with as much crispness as charm to questions from the international media about his switch from La Liga to Ligue 1.
“Everything has been emotional and it’s happened very fast," he conceded.
"I can’t forget all the things that happened to me in Barcelona but I’m enthusiastic about the next stage … I’m going to have to absorb things little by little.”
Messi's two-year deal with PSG expected to bring him around 35 million euros a year.
Debut
He has started to repay that outlay with replica shirts already sold out on the PSG website. As to when he will deliver on the field is yet to be determined.
Messi has not played since leading Argentina to the Copa America last month.
"I'm coming back from holiday, I've been a month off the pitch," he said.
"I need a bit of a preparation to get myself going. I can't give a date about going out onto the field ... it's up to the coaches to decide but I’m looking forward to playing."
