It has been claimed that PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino came to know about Messi's Covid-19 reports and subsequent quarantine procedures only through third parties.
Follow Us
Seven-time Ballon d’Or holder Lionel Messi has found himself in hot soup and has been criticised for his irresponsible behaviour after testing positive for Covid-19. It has been claimed that PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino came to know about Messi’s Covid-19 reports and subsequent quarantine procedures only through third parties. It has also come to light that the prolific forward didn’t inform the coach or the club about his situation as he was isolated in his home town of Rosario in Argentina before returning to Paris earlier this week. And former PSG star Jerome Rothen has severely criticised the star footballer for his negligence towards the club.
Rothen, who represented Les Parisiens in 180 appearances between 2004 and 2009, believes that the Argentina talisman went against footballing ethics through his gesture and it is pretty shocking. He, additionally, mentioned that there should always be transparency in communication between the coach and player of any grade.
“You must always respect your coach, this is what I was taught in Clairefontaine,” Rothen was quoted as saying by mirror.co.uk.
“The coach must be above everyone else, it does not matter if it is a star or a youth player – the boss must be the head of the time.
“Pochettino was not updated as to where Messi was, and that explains a lot of things.
“This is not a good thing and I think it is very shocking from Messi.”
The French footballer, moreover, said that it is the responsibility of a coach to embody the values of the club. He also feels that rising superstar and PSG forward Kylian Mbappe has utmost respect for the former Tottenham Hotspur boss.
“The coach must be the strong man, the one who shows the real values,” the French player said.
“The only one who strongly respects him, in my opinion, is Kylian Mbappe and I do not sense anything with the other players.
“If you don’t respect your coach then you cannot be successful. “
“PSG has suffered a lot from this in recent years.”
READ MORE: Ligue 1 news: COVID-19 outbreak at Troyes forces postponement of match against Montpellier
Messi had made a reference about the Covid-19 situation in his New Year message and advised everyone to stay strong through the tough times.
“I can only give thanks for everything that I had to live in this 2021,” he wrote. “’Even more so when many people had a really bad time because of the s***** virus that never ends.
“Hopefully 2022 brings a lot of health, which is what I wish you all for the new year. Hug everyone!”
