Former French forward and one-time FIFA World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit believes that the best of Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi is now behind him.
Petit recently took some time to speak on RMC Sport‘s “Rothen s’enflamme” show, where he laid out his case on this matter.
“I feel a sincere sorrow when I see Lionel Messi on the field,” Petit said. “We all want him to make us dream, as he did in Barcelona. We are witnessing the death of a king and the rise of another king. Messi has not been well in his body for several months, but I think it’s mostly in his head. When you see his body language after his missed penalty.
“I want Messi to understand that he will not be able to return to the Messi of Barca, on some actions, but over time, it is not possible. Messi must understand that there is a new king who has taken his place.”
Overall, Messi’s performance in PSG’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg clash against Real Madrid has garnered mixed reviews. While the Argentine forward did create multiple goal-scoring chances for teammates over the match, he did miss his second half penalty attempt.
As of late, Kylian Mbappe has continued to garner much acclaim for his top showings for PSG in all competitions, which include the one-goal showing against Real Madrid.
Regardless of whether it will be Messi, Mbappe or another stout attacking talent on PSG’s roster, manager Mauricio Pochettino sure will need someone to be a consistent force in the team’s attack over the remainder of the Champions League knockout stage.