Why PSG may not win Champions League despite Messi's arrival

Why PSG may not win Champions League despite Messi's arrival

For the first time in over 20 years, Lionel Messi will not be wearing a Barcelona shirt.

The 34-year-old will be playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2021/2022 season.

Possibly the greatest player to ever represent Barca, he scored 672 times in 778 games.

Messi leaves as both the club's record appearance maker and top goal scorer.

In his final press conference on Sunday, Messi vowed he will "fight to win everything" for his next club.

He made clear his intention to win a fifth Champions League title.

Well, his ambitions match that of PSG. The Ligue 1 side have come very close to winning the holy grail, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.

Last season, they were eliminated by Manchester City over two semi-final legs.

Ahead of the 2021/2022 season, they have brought in seasoned winners as free agents - Messi, Sergio Ramos, Giorgini Wijnadlum and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

However, this is an experiment that has failed in the past. Case in point: Real Madrid assembling a Galactico team.

Messi, Ramos and Wijnaldum are well past that prime and cannot influence games the way they would have done in the past.

Also, more disturbing, PSG is managed by Mauricio Pochettino, who never won a trophy before he arrived at Parc des Princes.

Pochettino also bottled the league title last season, with Lille winning the Ligue 1 crown.

Bookmakers have installed PSG as the favourites to win the next Champions League. But time and again, football has been decided on the pitch and not on paper.

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