"France never appreciated talent, never understood Messi": Former French striker David Trezeguet
Jul 15, 2023
New Delhi [India], July 15 : Former France national player and Word Cup winner David Trezeguet was critical of his nation's lack of appreciation of talent. Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint Germain signed Lionel Messi two years ago.
The Argentinian maestro was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle to complete the French club's UEFA Champions League elusive dream.
But the moment never came and Messi was on the receiving end of most of the critics for PSG's failure in the European competition.
Trezeguet hit back at those critics and while speaking to ESPN Argentina as quoted by Goal.com, Trezeguet said, "France never appreciated talent and, therefore, the country never understood Messi. His arrival in Ligue 1 was an opportunity to make a less attractive championship more attractive than the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and I would even say the Bundesliga. However, France has never appreciated Messi’s talent. A player who changes hierarchies at all levels in football, guaranteeing you a comeback in terms of image and prestige as few others can."
"Ligue 1 rarely had the chance to host a player of this stature. Myself, Henry, Dugarry and Lizarazu, who have a history, have been severely criticized for defending Messi.Our fault? Siding with talent and the magic of football," Trezeguet added.
Even though spending most of the time on the receiving end of the critics individually, Messi still had a pleasing time at PSG. Even though he fell short in his first season, last season he struck 16 goals while contributing the same number of assists.
Two weeks ago he was also awarded the Best Foreign Player in Ligue 1 for the 2022-23 season. After leaving the French club, the seven-time Ballon d'Or will now join Inter Miami, which is owned by former England football legend David Beckham.
