“They are a**holes” – Sergio Aguero slams French media for criticizing Lionel Messi after his penalty miss against Real Madrid

Lionel Messi has had a tough time since joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a shock move from Barcelona last summer. The Argentine has failed to make the sort of impact he did at his previous club and has been criticized for it.

This came into the picture again when PSG faced Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday as Thibaut Courtois saved the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's penalty in the 62nd minute. As a result, the Argentine was given a rating of 3/10 by the French magazine L'Equipe.

However, Messi's compatriot and friend Sergio Aguero has come out to defend him. 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**holes. 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."

It eventually needed a 95th minute winner by Kylian Mbappe for PSG to secure a 1-0 win in the first leg. The second leg of the fixture will be played on March 10 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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Could Lionel Messi leave PSG in the summer?

It was always going to be tough for the Argentine to leave Barcelona after spending 17 years there. While settling into a new team can be a challenge for any player, Messi was expected to get up to speed with his new club within a few weeks.

But six months into his time in Paris, he still looks quite unsettled. This has instigated rumors that he might look to leave the Ligue 1 giants in the summer and return to his boyhood club.

Since joining PSG, Messi has scored just two goals in 14 league appearances. He has 15 goal contributions in 21 matches in all competitions this season. While those numbers may not be all that poor, one cannot be blamed for expecting better statistics from a player of Messi's class.

The French media and many pundits have gone on to criticize his performances beyond goals and assists as well. His lack of work rate and how often he loses the ball have come under the scanner.

Hence, he might look to return to Barcelona where he is more familiar with the team and the living conditions. However, it will be interesting to see if it is possible because of the Catalan club's financial troubles, which led him to leave the club in the first place.