Lionel Messi unhappy due to constant low rating in newspaper close to PSG owner: Reports

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is reportedly extremely angry with a local newspaper close to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) owners after they have constantly given him a low rating, thereby tarnishing his image.

The 34-year old believes that Le Parisien is giving him incorrect ratings that are not backed by stats. This media outlet is believed to have a good relationship with PSG owners, having covered several exclusives for them, including the arrival of Messi at the club.

Lionel Messi was given a 4.5 rating despite a decent performance

In PSG's last game against Monaco on Monday, when Mauricio Pochettino's team won 2-0, Lionel Messi was given a 4.5 rating out of 10 by Le Parisien despite a decent performance. The Argentine international gave a fantastic assist to Kylian Mbappe for the club's second goal. However, despite his decent display, the media outlet justified their rating by writing comments such as: "We expect more precision from the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner," a comment that has reportedly not been taken too kindly by Messi's entourage.

It is believed that Messi is shocked to see such an unfavourable evaluation of his performance by Le Parisien, a newspaper that is believed to have strong ties with PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Moreover, one of the French magazines also claimed that the 34-year old left the field angry.

Meanwhile, L'Equipe is another media outlet that has been overcritical of Messi. The French daily gave the PSG forward a rating of 4 out of 10 by stating, "Lined up as a false 9, he was quite shipwrecked." Even though Messi has struggled since moving to Paris, having scored just one goal and four assists in 10 Ligue 1 games, it is unlikely that such comments would be taken too kindly by him or his fans.

Paris Saint-Germain maintain their lead in Ligue 1 standings

After a comfortable 2-0 win over Monaco, PSG maintains their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings. After 18 matches, the Parc des Princes outfit has scored 45 points and are 13 points clear of second-placed Olympique de Marseille, who have played a game less.