Lionel Messi and Diego Simeone unhappy with Rodrigo de Paul’s public persona

The strong relationship between Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul is well-documented, with the two enjoying a good understanding. It was a key part of Argentina’s Copa America win last summer, which shot de Paul into stardom.

That alongside his move from Udinese to Atletico Madrid. There he still has the trust of Diego Simeone but it has been a tricky year for de Paul, ending up on the bench for stretches of the second half of the season.

However both Messi and Simeone are said to have intervened in de Paul’s private life lately. Mundo Deportivo have carried a story from entertainment show ‘Socios del Espetaculo’ in Argentina which claims that on separate occasions de Paul has been told to tone down his public appearances.

De Paul split with his former partner Camila Homs last year and has since been gracing social media regularly for his nightlife antics with new partner and singer Tini Stoessel.

Much of the Argentine squad was in attendance of Messi’s 35th birthday party in Ibiza recently, which de Paul arrived at with Stoessel. Many of the other players’ partners enjoy a close relationship with Homs and Stoessel’s presence supposedly caused a stir.

Although this is a story that belongs firmly in the gossip columns, the fact that Simeone, de Paul’s de facto boss, has got involved in the matter shows that it might be having some impact on his performance. Certainly his first season in Madrid was not the success that most had pictured.

Tags Argentina Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone Lionel Messi Rodrigo De Paul
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