Sergio Aguero has branded the French media ‘a*******’ for their rating of Lionel Messi in PSG’s 1-0 victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Messi was ineffective in the match and missed a penalty before Kylian Mbappe spared his blushes by netting a stoppage time winner.
French newspaper L’Equipe scored the Argentine three out of 10 in their player ratings, while other pundits took aim at the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner for his tepid performance.
Nevertheless, Messi’s former international teammate Aguero, who was forced to retire earlier this season with a heart issue, has moved to defend his pal, whom he says has been ‘killed’ by the media.
Speaking on his Twitch channel, Aguero said: “Leo played well, he broke lines. I’m not saying that because he’s a friend, but because he played hard. He was good and very active.
“In France, magazines and newspapers killed him. They are a*******. I had an interview scheduled with a French magazine, but I said: ‘No, because I support Leo Messi. Period. So goodbye, see you soon.’ Now I’m angry.”
Former PSG forward Jerome Rothen even went as far as saying that Messi offers the Ligue 1 leaders ‘nothing’ in a damning assessment of the 34-year-old.
He told RMC Sport: “Of course, in terms of merchandising, it’s wonderful to have attracted Leo Messi. People come to see Messi play at PSG. But you have to recognise that in a sporting context, he brings nothing to PSG.
Most read in Champions League
“The biggest problem is that this was a great match, that’s where we expect the great players to perform and tonight it was more of a drag than anything else.
“There are technical errors, losses of the ball, the missed penalty – but it can happen to anyone. It’s, above all, his behaviour. He looks down at his boots, it looks like he’s not happy.”
talkSPORT BET Offer
Bet £10 Get £10 In Free Bets
18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ on any sport at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get £10 Free Bets on any sports market. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. BeGambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly