Former France International Explains Why Lionel Messi Has Struggled This Season

The first season of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain hasn’t been as successful as many have hoped. With the 2021-22 campaign coming to an end, many pundits and former players are giving their opinions on what went wrong. 

Former French player Christian Karembeu believes Messi is not prominent enough at the capital club this season. The Argentine hasn’t convinced, especially in the goal-scoring department, and Karembeu went into detail.

Karembeu believes that the 34-year-old is not in the best conditions to play in Paris and adds that the French giants did not give the importance that his status demanded this season. 

“Leo has to be the leader to show his game: at Barcelona, he was the leader for 20 years; we cannot change that,” Karembeu told Goal

“He confided in a podcast in Spain. He must be the captain; he knows his role perfectly. We have to stop judging him; we know that when he touches the ball, something always happens.”

Furthermore, Karembeu touched on the boos that Messi received from PSG supporters following their elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid. 

“Wherever Leo goes, it’s crowded. He is more than a player, and in France, we have to respect him more; we can never boo him because he is a star,” Karembeu said.  

It will be interesting to see if next season goes well for Messi since he won’t have to uproot his family and now knows the league to set a tone for himself to start 2022-23 on a good note. 

Tags Christian Karembeu Lionel Messi
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