Following Lionel Messi’s response to being substituted at the weekend, the star and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino appear to be at odds. Former Paris Saint-Germain winger Jerome Rothen thinks the coach erred in his handling of the playmaker.
He explained: “There was a total misunderstanding. We saw it and Lionel Messi wanted to stay on the pitch. Pochettino made the decision in his heart and conscience.”
“Where I find it completely inappropriate on the part of Pochettino, it’s that he’s never been like that with any of the other stars of the team. Since he arrived, whether it was Neymar or [Kylian] Mbappe, he always left them on the pitch, even when they were bad.”
“He has always protected them, unlike the other players like [Angel] Di Maria, [Leandro] Paredes, [Mauro] Icardi. Then, Lionel Messi arrives, in terms of status and aura, Messi is much superior to Neymar and Mbappe.”
“I don’t know how he played. Did he want to mark his territory? I hope not, because there, he is completely crazy. We do not cry genius there. You’re going to put the best player on your back. This kind of event leaves traces. And the image is terrible. He made a serious mistake. Pochettino crashed there.”
Lionel Messi was named to PSG’s starting eleven for the weekend match against Olympic Lyon. The Argentine played 76 minutes before being replaced by Achraf Hakimi.
Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to take Leo from the game, nevertheless, did not sit well with Leo. As he walked to the reserve’s area, he snubbed the tactician’s handshake.