PSG

There’s not long now until our new overlords are all assembled. 

Paris Saint-Germain got its second straight victory to open the season on Saturday afternoon at the Parc des Princes, but the side was still without new signings Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and the recovering Neymar and Ángel Di María. 

But they were all in the building, and Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Donnarumma, Ramos and Messi were presented to the home support before the match. It was an unbelievable scene, and the reception for Messi . . . well, just watch.  

PARIS — Lionel Messi watched on from the stands as Paris Saint-Germain made hard work of beating Strasbourg 4-2 in Ligue 1 on Saturday to continue their winning start to the new season.

Not yet fully fit, Messi, along with Neymar and fellow new recruits Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sergio Ramos, did not make the match squad, but saw his new club take an early lead through Mauro Icardi at Parc des Princes.

Lionel Messi is presented to the PSG fans

PARIS — The arrival of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain has created a positive mood at the Ligue 1 club but he is unlikely to play any part in Saturday's home game against Strasbourg, coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

Speaking at Friday's news conference ahead of the league fixture after Messi joined PSG from Barcelona earlier this week, Pochettino added his first task was to make sure a star-studded outfit began to look the sum of its parts.

PARIS - Lionel Messi trained with new club Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, two days after joining the Ligue 1 giants from Barcelona, French daily L'Equipe reported.

It was the first time Messi, who won 10 LaLiga and four Champions League titles with Barcelona, set foot on the pitch since leading Argentina to the Copa América title with a 1-0 win over Brazil.

PARIS — Lionel Messi dashed any thoughts of him taking it easy in his later years as he set his sights on leading new club Paris St Germain to their first ever Champions League title at his presentation in France on Wednesday.

The Argentine forward, 34, had agreed to stay at former club Barcelona after his deal expired at the end of June, only for the Spanish club to admit they could no longer afford him last week.

He signed a two year deal with an option for a third with the Parisians on Tuesday.

While Lionel Messi's departure marks the end of an era for Barcelona, there is plenty more to be resolved at the Nou Camp before the season gets under way:

MONEY ISSUES

Barcelona has a gross debt of over one billion euros ($1.17 billion) and years of profligate spending meant they flew too close to the sun once too often.

Even without the Argentine, their salary mass accounts for 95 percent of all income — in football, it is considered viable and healthy to have your wages to income at a maximum ratio of 70 percent.