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Former West Ham United forward Paolo Di Canio has called Lionel Messi an 'alien without emotions', stating that he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo over the Argentine.
Messi has not had the best of times since joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent from Barcelona in the summer of 2021.
On Wednesday night, the struggling seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was subjected to a humiliating Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.
Four days later, during a Ligue 1 clash against Bordeaux, he was booed by PSG fans at the Parc des Princes for his lackluster display in Madrid.
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Ronaldo, too, has often struggled to live up to his sky-high standards this season, but recently scored a stunning Premier League hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur.
The performance holds even more significance due to his absence against Manchester City, which as per the Daily Star, was due to “tactical reasons.”
Di Canio highlighted the difference in mentality between the two superstars, stating that he preferred Ronaldo, a “human who has a soul” over Messi. Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Di Canio said (via Manchester Evening News):
“Messi left the pitch scratching his head, he has no emotions. I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘Do you want me to sit on the bench against Man City?’”
He added:
“I go back to Portugal, then I return and score a hat-trick. I prefer the human who has a soul to the alien without emotions.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, who rejoined Manchester United last summer, has scored 12 Premier League goals so far. Messi, on the other hand, has only managed to find the back of the net twice in 18 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG.
Di Canio claims fans were right to boo Cristiano Ronaldo’s arch-rival Lionel Messi
The Argentine star, along with teammate Neymar, were booed during Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 win over Bordeaux on Sunday afternoon.
While PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino has come out in defense of his star, Di Canio doesn’t find any fault in the fans’ behavior.
He said:
“Messi showed his personality limits. Of course, he can be booed. There were thousands of fans waiting for him. They were dreaming, but his behavior was not the right one.”
The 53-year-old also tore into Neymar, who was booed on Sunday as well. The Italian added:
“Neymar was even worse. He is not doing remarkable things and last month, he said that he wanted to go to the MLS to have three months holiday. I mean, have respect, you must have some problems.”
The Parisians have had a largely underwhelming season. They have been knocked out of three competitions already - the Champions League, Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions. However, they have done well in Ligue 1 and are at the summit of the table, 15 points ahead of second-placed Marseille.
It is very likely that PSG will win their eighth title in 10 years. They will return to Ligue 1 action with a trip to Monaco on Sunday (20 March).
