Former Arsenal French midfield star Emmanuel Petit says Lionel Messi not being mentally okay can be attributed to his struggles at PSG.
Messi has been on the receiving end of criticism from the French media for his performance and overall form at PSG this season.
The former Barcelona skipper missed a penalty against Real Madrid in last week’s Champions League.
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And despite providing an assist for Neymar against Nantes on Saturday, the Ligue 1 leaders lost 3-1 and could see their lead at the top reduced.
And following his struggles Petit, a Sport pundit at RMC stated that everyone sees the decline of Messi and the rise of Kylian Mbappé.
“I feel genuine pain when I watch Messi on the pitch. We all want him to succeed, to take our hand and tell us a story like he told thousands in Barcelona,” Petit said on RMC Sport (via Paris Fans).
“I don’t want to pit Messi against Mbappé. But for several months, we have been witnessing the death of one king and the rise of another.
“I know that this guy has an oversized ego, but at some point, he will have to understand that as long as he is not well, especially mentally, he will not be able to become the Messi of Barça again,” Petit added.
“I hope that by the end of the season, we will be able to see the great Messi intermittently, but over time it is no longer possible.”
