‘No Reason to Whistle’ – Galtier Defends Messi, PSG Players After the Champions League Exit vs. Bayern Munich

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 home fixture against Bordeaux last season was filled with plenty of drama.

While PSG clinched a 3-0 win in the match, the main storyline from the contest centered on the boos and whistles that rained down from the Parc des Princes crowd, as many supporters were displeased with the team’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 exit against Real Madrid. The likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar were booed and whistled throughout the league fixture.

PSG will return to the Parc des Princes on Sunday for the first time since its Champions League round of 16 elimination against Bayern Munich. While there has been some outside speculation that multiple PSG players may be booed throughout the team’s upcoming Ligue 1 home fixture against Rennes, manager Christophe Galtier sees that there is simply “no reason” to whistle players such as Messi.

“What is the reason?” Galtier said during a pre-match press conference on Friday. “There is no reason to whistle our players. They gave their best in this competition. To be more precise with Leo, 18 goals and 17 assists.

“We were eliminated because Bayern Munich arrived in much better shape than us in this double confrontation.”

PSG currently holds a 10-point lead over second-place side Olympique de Marseille atop the Ligue 1 standings.