With Neymar and Kylian Mbappe said to have been involved in an off-field fallout last month, it has been reported that Lionel Messi stepped in to help solve the issue that threatened to cast a dark shadow over Paris Saint-Germain's season.
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Following a Ligue 1 game in August, tensions in the French champions' camp appeared high after Neymar took to social media to show his frustration with teammate Mbappe.
The Brazilian liked a series of tweets in which his colleague, who joined PSG in the same window as he did in 2017, was being criticised by a fan account dedicated to Neymar.
This came after Mbappe argued with the 30-year-old over who should take the second penalty that had been awarded in their drubbing of Montpellier in August, despite the Frenchman squandering an earlier chance from the spot in that game.
The Soccer Laduma website has moved to a new digital stadium called SNL24.com. Register on SNL24.com and enjoy not just the soccer news, you'll also get to comment on stories, save articles for later, access weather and traffic alerts for your area, and subscribe to newsletters!Reports suggested that Neymar had become annoyed with his colleague's attitude following his contract extension in May, a decision he took after a long pursuit for his signature by Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Now, for the first time since the issue was said to be resolved internally, L'Equipe claims Messi was among those to intervene despite his usual tendency to be more reserved in the dressing room.
The publication states that the 35-year-old acted as a "moderator" as he attempted to help inspire Neymar and Mbappe to find common ground, actions that were seen as surprising.
Although he has years of experience as captain of Argentina, and, while he led Barcelona following Andres Iniesta's departure from the Camp Nou in 2018, Messi is known for being quiet and closed-mouthed.
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