- Title: Fans rush to buy Messi shirt as PSG brand looks to soar
- Date: 11th August 2021
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 11, 2021) (REUTERS) MESSI JERSEY PRICE TAG READING: "165€" CUSTOMER LOOKING AT JERSEY (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN, JONATHAN BOUYER MSIED, 18, SAYING: "It will bring in a lot of people, a lot of money for PSG, it will bring pleasure and joy for the supporters. There is something for everyone and everyone is happy." (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN, WALLYS NKAMEN NANA, 25, SAYING: "It's real now. We have to buy the jersey for it to be concrete, to know it's true, that it's not just all in our head." CASHIER SMALL TOY WITH FACE OF STRIKER, KYLIAN MBAPPE (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN WALLYS NKAMEN NANA, 25 ASKED IF SHE THINKS MESSI ARRIVALS MIGHT PUSH MBAPPE TO LEAVE, SAYING: "We have a very competitive team this year, if he wants to leave, it's because he wants to leave, and it's not because the team is not competitive enough." MESSI SHIRTS BEING TAKEN OUT MESSI SHIRT BEING FOLDED FAN OF LIONEL MESSI FROM U.S., ADIEL RAMIREZ, 18, TAKING BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) FAN OF LIONEL MESSI FROM U.S., ADIEL RAMIREZ, 18, SAYING: "I'm a big Barcelona fan, a Messi fan, of course, I'm going to follow him anywhere he goes. A bit sad he left Barcelona still, still a big fan, but I'll always support him, and of course, I had to come here to get a shirt." CUSTOMERS BROWSING SHIRTS MESSI SHIRT CUSTOMERS CASHIERS CASH SHIRT BEING HANDED TO CASHIER SHIRT BEING PUT IN BAG (SOUNDBITE) (French) CO-FOUNDER OF SPORT-BUSINESS OBSERVATORY THINK TANK, VINCENT CHAUDEL, SAYING: "The big winner in this story is obviously Amazon, which already got its early Christmas present in June and now just won the lottery. Broadcasting so many matches for so little money, with PSG (with Messi) on top of that, that will allow to boost its subscription, it's a big win."
- Embargoed: 25th August 2021 14:39
- Keywords: Messi PSG shirt
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA003EPU3T53
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Jerseys branded with his name are flying off the shelves, followers are flocking to his new club's social media by the millions, and TV rights suddenly look much cheaper - many stand to gain from Lionel Messi's arrival at Paris St Germain.
Putting it bluntly, PSG chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi told a news conference on Wednesday (August 11) that people would be "shocked" by the financial revenues the 34-year-old would bring to the club.
In PSG's flagship shop in central Paris, a fan that queued two hours to spend 165 euros on a Messi T-shirt hours as soon as the Argentine signed with the club certainly thought so.
"I just had to come and buy it," 18-year old Jonathan Bouyer Msied said, beaming. "It will bring PSG a lot of money, and it will bring fans a lot of fun and joy. There's something in it for everyone, and everybody will be happy."
Amazon, which in June won the rights to broadcast the main TV rights for the French soccer league at a fraction of the price they initially cost and now has Messi to show for, is certainly among those winners, said sports marketing expert Vincent Chaudel.
"The big winner is obviously Amazon, which already got its early Christmas present in June and now just won the lottery," said Chaudel. "The second winner is PSG, which will consolidate its spot among the world's biggest clubs."
In the eyes of the fans, back at the club's shop, it's already a dream come true.
"I had to come and buy the shirt so that it feels real, to know it's true, that it's not just all in our head," 25-year old Wallys Nkamen Nana said.
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