After a rapturous reception and raucous unveiling to the
public on Wednesday Lionel Messi took part in his first session at Paris
Saint-Germain’s Camp des Loges training facility on Thursday.
The 34-year-old former Barcelona player has been on downtime
since winning the Copa America with Argentina in July and started his first PSG
run-out with simple physical exercises.
“I’ve been out of action for a month and I need to get
physically ready. I hope to be ready as soon as possible because I can’t wait
to play,” Messi said at his unveiling at the Parc des Princes stadium on
Wednesday.
He is unlikely to make his debut for PSG soon, and certainly
not this weekend when Mauricio Pochettino’s team play Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
“I can’t tell you when my first game will be but I can tell
you Im dying to get started,” he said. “I want it to be soon.”
Messi only arrived in the French capital on Tuesday before
penning a two-year contract with the option of a third season.
The club also revealed on Thursday it had paid a signing on
bonus to the player in PSG’s own virtual currency which it calls $PSG Fan
Tokens, originally sold at 2 euros each and currently trading over 30 euros
each.
“The coins are there to create a link between the fans and
the club, and it’s the first time we have used them in this way,” the Parisians
said in a statement without saying how many they had given to Messi.
PSG quickly emerged as the favourites to sign Messi
following the shock of his departure last week from Barcelona and he arrives
eyeing a fifth Champions League, with the most recent of his four victories
with his old club coming in 2015.
PSG are reportedly paying 35 million euros ($41 million) a
year to Messi, who will wear the number 30 jersey — with fans continuing to
line up outside the club’s different shops in the capital to buy the shirt with
his name and number on the back.
AFP
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