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Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Rafinha Alcantara has admitted that the Ligue 1 side assembled a team full of stars, including Lionel Messi and Neymar, creating an issue for the coaches. He added that the players were always fighting for their place in the starting XI, and those who were benched were angry.
In quotes published by FootBoom, Rafinha stated that he knew the system would not work because there were too many talented players for each position. He added that the attack had four attackers, Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Angel Di Maria, making it impossible for the manager to bench anyone.
He said:
"During pre-season training, right at the first session with the full squad, I remember thinking: 'This system is not going to last.' Take, for example, goalkeepers - Keylor Navas or Gianluigi Donnarumma. Whoever sits on the bench will be angry. Expect arguments, heated discussions with the coach. Defense? Marquinhos is untouchable, a rock; Presnel Kimpembe is a PSG legend, and then there's Sergio Ramos. Three elite center-backs, all hungry for minutes." "Up front - Angel Di Maria, Mbappe, Neymar, Messi. Who do you put on the bench? Di Maria? A tough choice - he has a huge influence in the dressing room. It just can't work like that. A nightmare for any manager. On paper, the best team in the world, but this is a real beast. I didn't get any games, so I just sat back and watched."Rafinha left PSG in 2022, as he was not getting enough playing time, and moved on loan to Real Sociedad. Lionel Messi and Neymar left in 2023, with the Argentine joining Inter Miami and the Brazilian moving to Al-Hilal.
Lionel Messi went through hell at PSG, said Neymar
Neymar spoke to Globo in 2023 about his time at PSG, stating that he went through hell at the club alongside Lionel Messi. The Brazilian said that he was happy for the Argentine after winning the FIFA World Cup and said:
"I was very happy for the year he had, but at the same time very sad, because he lived both sides of the coin, he went to heaven with the Argentina team, won everything in recent years, and with Paris he lived hell. We lived through hell, both he and I. We get upset, because we're not there for nothing, we're there to do our best, be champions, try to make history."Lionel Messi and Neymar played together at Barcelona and PSG, playing 206 games and combining for 67 goals.
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Edited by Sripad
English (US)