"He had a disgusting year at all levels" - Jerome Rothen slams Lionel Messi's comments about 'adapting' to PSG

Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Jerome Rothen has criticized Lionel Messi for his comments on adapting to life at the Ligue 1 club. Since moving to the French capital last summer, the former Barcelona superstar has flattered to deceive on big occasions.

While talking to the Argentine media, the forward admitted that leaving the Catalan club was not easy and it would take some time for him to find his footing at the new club. He told TyC Sports, via Le10Sport:

"I had to get used to a new way of playing because all my life I've evolved in a certain way. I had teammates at Barcelona who had been playing together for many years and they knew me by heart."

That's not all, Messi recalled that he did not find himself in the best conditions at times and that led to a tricky first season in the PSG shirt.

"All this was new for me. I had a knee blow that stopped me for a while. I couldn't do three or four games in a row. The holidays arrived and I said, 'Well, after that I start a new year, I will arrive with all the batteries, I will change, the adaptation is over' and there the Covid has caught up with me!"

The Argentina captain's words haven't been well-received by Jerome Rothen, who has been one of La Pulga's biggest critics this year. The Frenchman tore into Messi months ago when he missed a penalty against Real Madrid in the Champions League. PSG were eventually knocked out of the competition.

Now, Rothen has criticized him again as he believes that a player of Messi's stature should not have taken so long in adjusting to new surroundings. He told RMC Sport, via Le10Sport:

"He's had a disgusting year, at every level. It is good that he expresses himself. You can have extenuating circumstances, he comes from Barcelona, where he was from a very young age. The concern for adaptation can happen to all players. But we are talking about the best player on the football planet. It would not be understandable that the adaptation would take more than a year."

The 44-year old, who played for PSG between 2004 and 2009 realizes that it could be a tricky club to get accustomed to both on and off the field.

"Sportingly, there is a problem of belonging to PSG, of communion with the fans, of sharing one's experience in the dressing room. When you find yourself lonely as he was, because you hear things, you see things on the ground, I feel like he was a mercenary on the ground."

However, Rothen claims that there has been a lack of effort from Messi and him not being transparent with the fans and media has not helped his cause either.

"If you can't run, don't come to the field. If he had a long Covid, which prevented him from running and breathing, communicate on it and explain it. People would have understood. On the field, you are judged as a 100% player. Make an effort!"

The PSG forward ended his first season in France with six goals and 14 assists in 26 Ligue 1 appearances.