'We should not forget' - Fans urged to boo Lionel Messi if he plays with Argentina at Paris Olympics by Jerome Rothen after he 'took the p***' at PSG

After securing a berth in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, Argentine U23 coach Javier Mascherano hinted that Lionel Messi could be called upon as an overage pick. The Albiceleste will, however, be in Copa America action this summer at the senior level – with a continental crown to defend in the United States.

Now Rothen, who played for Paris Saint-Germain in the past, has urged the club fans to jeer the Argentine should he travel with the team to the French capital in the summer.

Speaking on his talk show Rothen s’enflamme, the former PSG star said, "We should not forget what he has not given. As a French and a Parisian, seeing him parading with Argentina? Guys, if there is any way to dispute the fact that Messi took the piss on us for two years, boo him. He said it would be a disaster to live in Paris and that he hasn’t received the welcome he feels he was owed. Nonsense. He was above the Eiffel Tower like Neymar was. Every French folk showed him respect when he arrived. You expect respect in return and it never arrived."

Rothen added, "When he was given off days, he never experienced Paris to the fullest and his performances never lived up to what we hoped for from him (…). We heard he was not celebrated accordingly after winning the World Cup. You beat France in the final! He shouldn’t have expected to see the red carpet rolled out for him."

Messi, who spent two seasons at PSG, saw his relationship turn sour with the club towards the end of his stint in the summer of 2023. Fans questioned the player's commitment and the club's ultras even unveiled an anti-Messi banner outside Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium.

The 36-year-old will be next seen in action for The Herons in the club's final pre-season friendly against his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys on February 16 before they kick off the new season against Real Salt Lake on February 22.