'You Know Nothing About Football': PSG Chief Leonardo Takes a Dig at Lionel Messi's Critics

© AFP 2023 / FRANCK FIFEParis Saint-Germain's Brazilian sporting director Leonardo gestures during a training session at the Camp des Loges football club's training ground in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, on September 24, 2021
Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian sporting director Leonardo gestures during a training session at the Camp des Loges football club's training ground in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, on September 24, 2021 - Sputnik International, 1920, 20.12.2021
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Lionel Messi's move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer was one of the most sensational transfers ever in the world of football, especially after the Argentine great became synonymous with Barcelona due to his 21-year association with the Catalan giants.
PSG sporting director Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo has hit out at Lionel Messi's detractors after the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner came under a barrage of criticism because of his failure to light up the Ligue 1 with his trademark dazzling display on the field.
"Messi is indisputable", Leonardo said. "If you start arguing about Messi, you know nothing about football".
Heaping rich praise on the iconic footballer, considered by many as the greatest of all time, Leonardo called Messi a "genius" before insisting that the South American star's partnership with French striker Kylian Mbappe was responsible for PSG's dominance during their current campaign.

"His numbers are incredible. He and Mbappe have participated in almost all of the club's goals. He's decisive and has been playing the same way for 20 years", he added.

"Things change when you have different players in the team, but he's adaptable because he's a genius", Leonardo concluded.
While the 34-year-old legendary footballer remained Barcelona's top scorer for successive seasons for more than a decade, Messi has only scored six goals across all competitions in 15 appearances for the Paris-based side.
What's more, Messi's problems, especially in Ligue 1, where he has managed to score a solitary goal in 10 games, have been profound. The Argentina skipper's first goal in the French league came with a sensational strike in PSG's 3-1 triumph over Nantes in November.
But as explained by Leonardo, Messi's numbers aren't that bad if one takes into account his assists that have eventually resulted in goals.
So far, the ex-Barca talisman has provided four assists, all to Mbappe, playing a key role in PSG's 13-point lead at the top in the league.
Mauricio Pochettino's side currently has 45 points in Ligue 1, followed by Marseille in second place at 32 points.
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