Paris Saint-Germain supporters have held protests at the club’s headquarters and outside Neymar’s house, calling for the board to resign and criticising “overrated players”.
A tumultuous week for the Ligue 1 club has seen Lionel Messi suspended for two weeks following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, as well a home defeat to Lorient that has cut their lead at the top of the table.
Fans were filmed on Wednesday chanting for the board to resign outside club headquarters, before further clips appeared to show a separate group of supporters visiting the home of Neymar and calling for him to leave the club.
Messi was also the target of frustration with fans chanting for the World Cup winner to leave, having recently jeered him in home matches.
The Athletic has reported that after months of drift in negotiations, Messi’s contract is set to expire at the end of June, with his punishment this week appearing to offer no way back.
An organised protest of around 400 supporters took place at the club’s base, with fans lighting flares and holding up banners in protest at the current regime.
PSG fans called for the board to resign. Photo: Getty Images
One banner called on the board to resign, while another read: “PSG, who are you, where are you going? Do you hear me?”
A statement released by Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP), who organised the protest outside the club’s headquarters in Boulogne, outlined their concerns about the direction of the club under the current owners. They criticised “recruitment without a global vision”, the signings of “overrated players” and “mercenaries” and high ticket prices. They also outlined opposition to leaving their stadium, the Parc des Princes, after the club expressed an interest in buying the Stade de France. Chants were made against star players including Messi, Neymar, and coach Christophe Galtier, while president Nasser Al Khelaifi, whom the CUP has demanded to meet, was similarly criticised.
A separate, smaller group also went to Neymar’s house, with the player — as well as Galtier and midfielder Marco Verratti — forced to draft in additional security.
“Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday,” the statement read.
“Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions.
“The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour.”
PSG are currently five points clear of Marseille with five games to go but have lost three of their last six games and crashed out of the Champions League again in the round of 16 to Bayern Munich.
