It is no secret that former French forward Jerome Rothen has not been much fond of Lionel Messi’s ongoing run at Paris Saint-Germain.
Just over the past month, Rothen has noted that he believes Messi deserves hefty blame for PSG’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 exit against Bayern Munich, and he would stop attending the Parc des Princes for club fixtures if the Argentine forward ends up signing an extension deal.
During a recent airing of RMC Sport’s “Rothen s’enflamme” program, the former PSG forward took some time to share just why he has been so critical of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“I’m virulent in my criticism because it is the height of my disappointment,” Rothen said. “Leo Messi represents football, everything I love about football. He has marked the history of soccer, he is perhaps the greatest of all generations. But we are extremely disappointed with his contribution over his two seasons at PSG.”
Messi has enjoyed much success across the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 competitions this season, but PSG’s round of 16 elimination against Bayern Munich marred his campaign in the eyes of many. The Argentine forward failed to record a single goal contribution in the Champions League round of 16 for the second straight year.
Messi has had his way in Ligue 1 play this season, and he is slated to return to league action in PSG’s upcoming away matchup against OGC Nice.
