When in August 2021, PSG announced the arrival of Lionel Messi, Europe held its breath. Alongside Neymar and Mbappé, the Argentinian forms a dream attack that many already imagine to be irresistible. On paper, Paris then has the most prestigious trio on the planet. However, two seasons later, the project came to nothing: neither Champions League nor continental domination. Today, a veteran of the locker room, Rafinha, sheds new light on the underlying reasons for this failure.
“From the first training, I knew it wouldn’t work”
In the Charla podcast, the former Brazilian international says he quickly understood that this team was doomed to instability. “From the first preparation session with everyone, I said: “This can’t work.” In goal, Navas or Donnarumma… whoever doesn't play will be furious. In defense, Marquinhos, Kimpembe and Ramos. And in front, Di María, Mbappé, Neymar, Messi… who is leaving the team? »
According to him, the overabundance of stars and egos made daily life impossible to manage : “It was the strongest team in the world on paper, but for a coach, it was unmanageable. I wasn't playing, so I was observing everything. » This structural imbalance, combined with internal rivalries, has undermined the cohesion of a group which has never found collective balance.
“Unmanageable”: the word that sums up the Messi-Mbappé-Neymar era at PSG
A PSG locker room undermined by tensions
The atmosphere has never been simple. Messi lived his two years in Paris in frustration: unable to go out in public, plunged into the heart of the tensions between Neymar and Mbappé, he would even have felt that the club “protected” too much the French attacker. The lack of recognition after his world title only accentuated his discomfort.
These internal tensions prevented the trio from functioning together. Tactical choices became insoluble puzzles, and team balance a constant challenge for successive coaches. PSG has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League during this period.
An era over… and lessons to learn
After the departures of Messi and Neymar in the summer of 2023, Mbappé extended the adventure for one season before leaving for Real Madrid. Ironically, it was without the “MMN” that Paris ended up winning the historic treble, Champions League included, under Luis Enrique, carried by a collective finally balanced and an Ousmane Dembélé crowned Ballon d'Or.
Rafinha's testimony highlights an often overlooked truth: names are not enough to make a team. In Paris, the addition of stars has generated more imbalances than success. And in a post-galactic era, PSG seems to have learned its lesson.
