It has been almost 24 hours since PSG's elimination from the UEFA Champions League, and as time has gone by, the members of the French squad have been subject to some harsh criticism by former footballers and experts.
One of those former footballers to speak out was none other than Jerome Rothen, who slammed the team for their lack of experience to handle their 2-0 advantage with only 45 minutes left in the tie. The former midfielder aimed quite a few digs at some of PSG's players, especially against some of their marquee signings such as Neymar and Messi.
Rothen did not waste any time to criticize Messi, who he accused of not putting up an effort to help the team during its time of need.
"This defeat is all Neymar and Messi's. It is up to them to live up to their responsibility. When Leonardo recruited these kids, he told us they would go on to become the legends of this club. I will not criticize Verratti, Danilo, Paredes, or Mbappé, who was the most dangerous of the team during both legs. The main culprits are Neymar and Messi!" Rothen stated.
Rothen's comments grew more aggressive against the South American footballers as he went on.
"I will aim my criticism to both of those mercenaries! One of them has been a complete fraud since he got here. I am ashamed to speak of Messi like that, but it's the truth. The guy is always walking on the pitch! They told me he put up quite an effort to recover the ball, but I guess they were kidding, since those efforts required only a ten-meter sprint," Rothen said.
Then, he turned his sights against Neymar, who he also slammed for his poor contribution and frequent injuries since his arrival.
"The other one (Neymar) lost every ball he touched. I'm calling him 'the other one' because even saying his name is annoying to me. He has been a mess since he got here. He has played less than 50% of the games he was supposed to play for PSG. Please, Neymar and Messi, stop this! That's the problem! They are supposed to help their team to get the head out of the water when they need them the most," Rothen concluded.
Rumors about Messi's future far away from the club have circled since the beginning of the year, but there is a long way to go in the season before any decision is announced. After being eliminated from the premier club competition in Europe, Les Parisiens will only be fighting to win the Ligue 1, where they have a comfortable 13-point lead over their nearest competitor.
