Lionel Messi has had a difficult first season in Paris, and Gab and Julien give their take on him. (0:48)
Lionel Messi got to know the Paris Saint-Germain ultras for the first time since joining the club. He was booed throughout the game against Bordeaux on Sunday. Messi would have rather avoided their anger, but it happened, and it kind of shook the football world. The best player of all time was heckled by fans who had previously flooded the streets of the French capital to greet him.
It is not known if the Argentine superstar knew what was coming or if he was warned that things would get ugly. He found out quickly. He didn't look like he was intimidated by it, while his team didn't sound upset about it either. The fact that the fans of Paris Saint-Germain booed one of the greatest players of all time every time he touched the ball was too much to take.
It is far from the first time he has experienced it. While on international duty with Argentina, his difficult relationship with the fans has led to some vocal frustration. He would have been surprised by the intensity of the protest and the fact that the boos lasted the whole game.
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The reaction from the Collectif Ultras Paris was significant. Their anger mirrored the humiliation of losing to Real Madrid last week and another early exit from the league.
The top goal for the club is Europe's top club competition, but the latest Remontada against them hurt a lot. In the past 10 tournaments, Paris Saint-Germain have only made it past the quarterfinals on two occasions.
The fans are passionate to a fault, but they were unhappy with the club before the defeat in Madrid. They feel that the direction the club is taking at the moment is more focused on marketing than on the pitch, more concerned with selling shirts or recruiting players than winning big games or building a strong and balanced squad. They protested against the club's hierarchy because they felt that they were losing their identity. They highlighted that part of the statement from Friday.
In the ultras culture, you mark your discontent with banners, boos, and demonstrations. On Sunday, what we saw is nothing new.
In the 2007-08 season, Paris Saint-Germain fought against the drop until the last day of the season, and had a huge game in Sochaux. The Ultras invaded the training ground after a string of bad results and threatened the players and staff. The players were prevented from leaving the training ground and their cars were damaged.
Paris Saint-Germain fans booed Lionel Messi and Neymar during their win over Bordeaux.
The Ultras blocked the players' cars at the Bourget airport after they lost to Messi in Barcelona. A supporter was knocked over by Thiago Motta.
The Ultras booed and insulted the players when they forced their way into a training session after the collapse against Manchester United.
The Ultras were banned from attending home games between 2010 and 2014 after some scenes of rare violence which led to the death of two fans in 2006 and 2010 around the Parc des Princes, one of many incidents home and away around this.
They blew a 2-0 lead at the Real Madrid and that was the final straw. They wanted to let their unhappiness be known, and apart from Kylian Mbappe and Keylor Navas, no other Paris Saint-Germain players were spared. It is nothing new for the Brazil forward to be insulted.
Presnel Kimpembe said that they understand the disappointment of the fans, their anger and their screams. Is it possible that Messi and Neymar are being booed? All of us are at fault. There are good and bad times for us. It is all of us. It is time for everyone to show up.
The boos were directed at the entire club. They would have been jeered too. It could have been worse. In the past, the players had been threatened by the ultras when they turned up at the training ground.
The supporters who protested on Sunday were in Madrid. Some people drove all the way from Paris to see the defeat in person, and they believe they have the right to show that they were let down.
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