"I'm ashamed of the way we treat Messi" - Former French international rips into PSG supporters for booing Lionel Messi
Former France defender Bixente Lizarazu has opined that Lionel Messi deserves more respect after the forward was jeered by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans on Saturday (May 13).
Les Parisiens decided to suspend Messi for two weeks after the Argentinian traveled to Saudi Arabia for commercial reasons without permission a fortnight ago. The punishment was reduced after the superstar issued an apology in a video.
Hence, Messi, who missed the trip to Troyes last weekend, returned to PSG's starting lineup in their Ligue 1 game against AC Ajaccio on Saturday. Many fans, though, were not on board with the decision to reinstate the forward.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner was the subject of whistles when his name was announced ahead of the game. A section of fans also jeered him when went over to take a corner during his team's 5-0 win.
Lizarazu has now said that he is embarrassed by the way in which French fans treat Messi. The former defender added that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a good season and thus deserves to be treated better.
"I'm ashamed of the way we treat Messi," Lizarazu said on French football program Telefoot (via Canal Supporters). "He is not having a disastrous season, he has scored 15 goals and provided 15 assists (in Ligue 1). Yes, since the World Cup, it has gone down, of course. But we are talking about the best, or one of the best players in history. We can't treat him like an ordinary player. We can't treat it like that."
Lizarazu reckons the ethos at PSG is to be blamed for players being spoiled and not Lionel Messi.
"The problem in Paris is that most players are spoiled," Lizarazu added. "Apart from (Kylian) Mbappe, who always manages to perform, there are a lot of players who are spoiled by the context. So the problem is not the players, it's the framework. This framework, this requirement that we must demand day after day, consistency in the construction of the workforce. But that's not Lionel Messi's fault. I think he deserves a little more respect."
Lionel Messi has bagged 20 goals and 19 assists in 38 games across competitions for PSG this season. For context, he managed only 11 goals and 15 assists from 34 games in Paris last term.
Bixente Lizarazu thinks PSG's Lionel Messi deserves respect, but who is he?
Bixente Lizarazu, 53, has come to Lionel Messi's defense amidst criticism from PSG fans. However, unlike many pundits who have defended the Argentinian, the former left-back is not associated with him. Lizarazu did not play with or against Messi during his playing career, which ended in 2006.
Lizarazu began his senior career with Girondins Bordeaux in France and joined Spanish club Athletic Bilbao in 1996. He moved to Germany with Bayern Munich the following year and spent seven years with the Bavarians. He had a brief six-month stint with Olympique Marseille in 2004 before returning to Bayern, where he ended his career.
The former left-back won every major trophy, including the Bundesliga (x6) and the UEFA Champions League, available during his time at Bayern. He also won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998. He is now a representative for the German club and also a pundit.