Former French player: 'Messi lacks attachment to PSG'

"Leo Messi represents everything I love in football. He has a lot of history and is probably the best player of all time. But we are very disappointed in Messi's contribution over two seasons. tournament at PSG," Rothen commented to France's RMC Sport. "I'm not talking about dedication on the pitch, but being on the side of the club in interviews, showing how happy he is to live in Paris, that he's found his place. On the contrary, we are. I always see the negative."

Messi built a name and spent most of his peak time at Barca - where he contributed 672 goals, 266 assists in 778 games, won 10 La Liga and four Champions Leagues. In 2021, due to financial problems, he was not extended by Barca, so he moved to PSG.

He initially received a lot of expectations to elevate the club to Paris. However, the relationship between the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and the fans here has deteriorated, especially after being eliminated by Bayern Munich in the 1/8 Champions League round. On April 2, when PSG lost 0-1 to Lyon at home in the 29th round of Ligue 1, Messi was booed by home fans before, during and after the match. The Argentine striker responded by not greeting the fans but going straight into the tunnel.

This season, Messi has scored 18 goals and has 17 assists. However, the 35-year-old striker's form in general is not as high as what has been shown at Barca, or in the journey to bring Argentina to the World Cup championship in 2022. Recently there have also been reports that he and Barca may be reunited, when the contract with PSG expires in June.

"Every time Messi has a few days off, he goes back to Barcelona. He has never been familiar with Paris, with what PSG stands for. This is a young team, but a club with history and prestige. respect. You have to put yourself in the shoes of a Parisian. Messi has never done that, so I criticize him," Rothen said.

The 45-year-old former midfielder believes that Messi's contribution cannot be assessed through numbers. According to him, like Neymar, Messi was brought in to improve PSG's position, especially in the Champions League. But the South American star duo has not done it yet. Even before Messi came, PSG had reached the final of the 2019-2020 season and then the semi-finals of the next season, but the last two seasons have been consecutively eliminated from the 1/8 round.