Lionel Messi PSG Nike top now available as Paris Saint-Germain reacts to verbal attacks

Lionel Messi and his apparel have been hot commodities as of late.

So much so that Fanatics just released the Messi Paris Saint-Germain Nike Name & Number Fan Top, available in white, for $49.99.

The blue Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain Jordan Brand 2021/22 Home Breathe Stadium Replica Jersey is sold out. The women’s version is available here. For $104.99, the youth version is available. There is also a youth jersey in white for the same price.

Check out all the Messi gear here.

Not everyone appears to be a fan, however.

After years of verbal attacks against its ownership and funding, Paris Saint-Germain’s leadership wrote to Spanish league president Javier Tebas to protest his “insulting and defamatory statements” about the Qatari-owned club, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

Tebas said PSG benefitted from state funding, followed by fresh digs against the club for signing Messi from Barcelona.

“PSG looks like the league of legends given the age of some players,” Tebas said, while boasting of apparently younger stars in La Liga. The 34-year-old Messi still captained Argentina to the Copa America title in July and was the tournament’s top scorer.

PSG’s complaint to Tebas on Wednesday came from club general secretary Victoriano Melero.

“You are … directly and disrespectfully attacking the players, simply because they decided to leave your competition, while at the same time you have been taking full advantage of having these world-greatest players in promoting your League until very recently,” Melero wrote. “Your remarkable comments on the age of these players not only insults their past and current roles in defining how our great game is played, but also the millions of fans around the world who idolize them.”

Messi was top scorer in his final season in La Liga with 30 goals as Barcelona finished in third place. It was Barcelona being unable to comply with La Liga’s financial regulations over the size of its wage bill that led to Messi having to leave in August.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.