RMC Sport’s and former Paris Saint-Germain player Jérôme Rothen sounded off on Lionel Messi and Argentina. The pundit slammed the veteran and his teammates for their recent behavior during this FIFA break in November.
During Tuesday’s Argentina-Brazil match, TV images captured a heated discussion between Brazil forward Rodrygo and Argentine stars Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul.
As a result, it led to Rothen laying into Messi and revisiting the two seasons with PSG. He noted that the former FC Barcelona star had plenty of time to rest with the French giants to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“Starting with the star of this team, Leo Messi,” Rothen said (h/t Le10Sport). “Now that he is world champion and for two years since he rested at PSG for the World Cup… He had an image of an endearing boy, but now he has gone to the other side as he is caught by the patrol, and his true personality emerges.
“Now, there are around ten in this team who reflect an image of the Argentines… I am afraid to make a generalization and say to myself, in fact, it is the Argentine nationality which is like that. You think you’re someone else. You feel superior. I am very surprised by their behavior. They could have more class.”
Apart from the run-in with Rodrygo, Messi had an issue with PSG’s newest signing, Manuel Ugarte. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner scolded the midfielder for his behavior against De Paul during the Uruguay-Argentina match.
Ugarte directed an inappropriate gesture towards De Paul. Messi advised younger players to follow the example of the team’s elders, with particular emphasis on Luis Suárez.
