"Galtier is there to carry balls and to place studs on the training ground" - PSG boss subject of harsh criticism from Daniel Riolo
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Christophe Galtier has come under criticism for his team's recent disappointing performances from RMC Sports journalist Daniel Riolo.
The Parisians went undefeated during the first half of the campaign. However, following the resumption of the season after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the French giants have lost two of their four league games.
Their first defeat of the season came against Lens on January 1. Lionel Messi and Neymar were absent from the squad as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat.
The alarm bells have well and truly started ringing after their 1-0 loss against Rennes on January 15. Galtier's team looked toothless during the away clash.
RMC Sports journalist Daniel Riolo heavily criticized Galtier after the loss. He even claimed that the former OGC Nice manager's only role was to carry the balls during his team's training sessions.
He said (via le10sport):
"Like the others, Galtier is there to carry the balls, to place the studs on the training ground."
PSG started the game with Kylian Mbappe on the bench as Hugo Ekitike partnered Lionel Messi and Neymar up front. Ekitike, however, failed to impress and was replaced in the 55th minute by Mbappe.
The FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 70th minute. Messi set him up with an impeccable pass from inside his own half, but Mbappe blasted his effort over the bar.
🎙 Christophe Galtier : "On a fait beaucoup de pousse-ballon ce soir."
🥶 Les mots forts du coach parisien après la prestation de ses joueurs ce soir.
#SRFCPSG I #PrimeVideoLigue1 https://t.co/fZG5NQKkJG
Rennes captain Hamari Traore scored the only goal of the match to cause a massive upset.
Despite the defeat, the Parisians remain at the top of the Ligue 1 table. They have 47 points on the board after 19 games and lead second-placed Lens by three points.
PSG boss Christophe Galtier sent a warning to his players after latest defeat
Galtier was understandably upset with his team's performance against Rennes. He sent a warning to his team's players, saying (h/t PSG Talk):
"I’m not going to talk about concern, but there must be an awareness, We can obviously find a thousand excuses, a thousand reasons. But the World Cup is over. Even if we were scattered and dispersed for eight weeks, we must find cohesion in this group, rhythm, intensity."
He further added:
“We will have ten days to work on verticality, intensity, and technical skills. And it’s very important that we find that.”
PSG are set to face Riyadh XI next in a friendly which could see Messi face Cristiano Ronaldo.
️ the Saudi All-Star XI that face PSG in a friendly 
Cristiano Ronaldo will ©️ the Saudi All-Star XI that face PSG in a friendly 👏 https://t.co/gCz7YxAhLR