Delirious fans salute King Leo and his courtiers at the Parc des Princes
Paris Saint-Germain ushered in the Lionel Messi era at the Parc des Princes on Saturday night with a weapons-grade presentation on the turf before their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg.
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Five days after completing the deal that will earn him 70 million euros over the next two years, Messi strolled out onto the turf after the other summer signings Achraf Hakimi, Gino Wijnaldum, Gigi Donnarumma and Messi's former Real Madrid nemesis Sergio Ramos.
The 34-year-old Argentina skipper, who spent 21 years at Barcelona before arriving as a free agent at PSG, hailed the fans for their vociferous support.
Messi returned to training on Thursday after a month away from the game following his exertions at the Copa America where he led his team to the trophy at the expense of hosts Brazil.
During the preparations for their first home game of the 2021/22 season, PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino called on the supporters to dampen their fervour and allow Messi time to adapt to his new surroundings and his teammates who include the Brazil star Neymar and the France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé.
Fans booed Mbappé's name after it was announced as part of the PSG line-up on the public address system.
The 22-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, has refused to extend his contract which is due to end at the end of the season.
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