Lionel Messi’s tenure at Paris Saint-Germain has had its ups and downs, with one of the low points being the boos and constant criticism that the 35-year-old receives.
The French media has sometimes been ruthless in critiquing the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and former French footballer and FC Barcelona player Emmanuel Petit is dumbfounded by the remarks he often hears.
“I work on French radio every week and a fortnight ago, we had a big debate about his situation,” Petit told an interview to Legal Sportsbook (h/t AS).
“The former players said that they were tired of Messi and that he should leave the club. I said on the radio: ‘How can you criticize Messi? Do you think Paris Saint-Germain’s problem is Messi? Messi has just won the World Cup with Argentina. Did you see how Argentina played with Messi? He had 10 or 15 soldiers surrounding him. They helped him, he was happy and they won the World Cup’. You can see that he has had really good numbers since he came to PSG.”Many in the French media and PSG supporters want to see the Ligue 1 side move on from the Argentine this summer when his contract expires in June, allowing him to become a free agent.
Contract extension talks have stalled and while Messi might prioritize discussions with the French giants, PSG might want to move in a different direction, leading to a possible reunion with Barcelona.
However, the issue with Barcelona is their current financial situation and whether they can fit the wages that Messi will command and comply with La Liga’s wage rules.
Messi’s future is uncertain, but the French media could continue talking about him if he and PSG reach an agreement.