Angel Di Maria Hints at 'Big PSG Change' Amid Lionel Messi's Parc des Princes Troubles

© AFP 2023 / JUAN MABROMATAArgentina's forward Lionel Messi (L) and midfielder Angel Di Maria attend a training session in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires, on November 9, 2021, ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier matches against Uruguay on November 12 and against Brazil on November 16
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi (L) and midfielder Angel Di Maria attend a training session in Ezeiza, Buenos Aires, on November 9, 2021, ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifier matches against Uruguay on November 12 and against Brazil on November 16 - Sputnik International, 1920, 07.06.2022
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Lionel Messi's problems with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are well documented. Unlike Barcelona, where he scored a minimum of 25 goals in 12 consecutive seasons, the Argentine could only hit the back of the net six times in Ligue 1 during the 2021-22 campaign. But one of his teammates has now blamed a top club official for his low tally.
Outgoing PSG star Angel Di Maria has claimed that a "big change" is set to take place at the club as he blamed manager Mauricio Pochettino for his Argentina compatriot Lionel Messi's struggles at the club.
Despite the inclusion of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner into the ranks, PSG were unable to go far in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), a tournament the French outfit desperately wanted to win.
The main reason behind the Ligue 1 champions' early ouster from Europe's elite club competition was the inability of their famous trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi to gel together.
While the black Frenchman continued to score in almost every game, Neymar was bogged down by injuries and Messi was unable to adjust to life in a new city and the club.
Part of Messi's difficulties was Pochettino's tactics as he almost always played second fiddle to Mbappe, who seemed to be the numero uno player in his scheme of things.
Now Di Maria has said that because Pochettino's strategies didn't work out for Messi and PSG, he is on his way out of the Paris-based club.
He's also confident that Messi would have a stellar season under a new coach in 2022-23.
"It seems like they also want Pochettino to leave," Di Maria told Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports. "There will be a very big change, but I think Messi can handle it."
"It will help him to be much better next season. I think he will start very well because he ended up contributing goals, giving assists, feeling very comfortable, and adapting more and more [late this past season]," he added.
Meanwhile, Di Maria's own career with PSG is over after the club decided against renewing his contract for the next season.
He had joined the French powerhouse in 2015 and helped them win multiple trophies, including the Ligue 1 this term. Overall, Di Maria scored 56 goals in 197 appearances for the club.
Last month, Di Maria bid a tearful goodbye to his fans at the Parc des Princes after scoring his final goal for the club against Metz in a 5-0 triumph.
Reflecting on his exit from the club, Di Maria said: "I left in a very special way. It was an unforgettable night, that an Argentine in another country has a farewell like mine, not everyone does it. The affection of the PSG fan, the ones behind the goal, is the most difficult thing to achieve."
"That I go outside, that they sing for me alone and made a mural for me to sign are things that remain in the memory," he concluded.
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