Petit: “PSG is not a football club”
Emmanuel Petit, a former world champion with France and ex-Barça player, harshly attacked the Ligue 1 club and advises Messi to leave.
The whistles that Messi was subjected to at the Parc des Princes when his name was announced over the public address system at the weekend, has caused much debate in the world of football. Emmanuel Petit, a World Cup winner with France and former Barça player, analyzed Messi’s situation in an interview with RMC and was extremely critical of PSG: “Whistling Messi is an insult to football and if I can give Leo some advice, I would tell him to leave this club,” the 52-year-old ex-player began.
Petit had more to say on the matter as he continued to analyze the Argentine’s game in Paris: “I’ve heard many critics complaining that Messi walks out on the pitch. But all of us who have followed Messi since he started out - even in Barça’s best years, know that he walked back then too. Messi is the master of the orchestra, he directs play and the other players around him - those who are the ones who have to make the effort. Argentina, who won the World Cup by surrounding Messi with warriors - players who were willing to die and donate their blood for Messi. Or when I watch Barça, with everyone running around the masters. It reminds me of when I played with Zidane, I wasn’t going to tell Zizou that he should run back to defend and help me, I had to do that for him to lead the orchestra,” he continued.
“Not a football club”
PSG have been being highly criticized in France after another failure in the Champions League - the team didn’t even make it past the Round of 16, this time crashing out after losing home and away to Bayern Munich. Petit concluded, “It’s not a football club, but a pre-retirement club even if you are 20 years old. No player has ever progressed at PSG, that is not Messi’s fault”, concluded Petit, who came to Messi’s defense and attacked PSG and his fans for his behavior with the Argentine.