Saturday, 23 June 2018

O-Sport: "Messi is not a leader. He's no Ronaldo", said Petit.


Lionel Messi 

Lionel Messi does not have the same leadership qualities as Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former Barcelona player Emmanuel Petit.


Messi has struggled to make an impact so far at Russia 2018, with Argentina on the brink of an early World Cup exit following their humiliating 3-0 defeat to Croatia.


Jorge Sampaoli's side must now beat Nigeria to stand a chance of qualifying.

Petit - a World Cup winner with France in 1998 - insists Messi must shoulder some of the blame.


"He's not a leader. He's no Ronaldo in that regard. Messi is one of the best players ever, but he needs to show that mentality," Petit told Paddy Power .


"He needs to wake up! When things go well with Barcelona he's a terrific player.


"We've seen it in the Champions League though, when things don't go well, he can disappear on the pitch.


"He's not there anymore. He's not running, he's walking. He's not concerned about the ball. Come on."