Why Lionel Messi’s substitution was so controversial: PSG supervisor Pochettino explains response to knee harm

You are tied at residence with quarter-hour left in a match that everybody’s anticipating you to win. For many coaches, there’s not a participant they’d reasonably have on the pitch in that spot than Lionel Messi. 

Not Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino, and never when Messi was exhibiting indicators that he picked up an harm.

Pochettino made one of the crucial talked-about strikes of PSG’s season when he determined to yank Messi within the 76th minute of the Sept. 19 French Ligue 1 match towards Lyon. The rating was 1-1 when the Argentine coach opted to usher in Achraf Hakimi instead of one of many world’s biggest gamers. The issue was that Messi wasn’t precisely on board with it.

MORE: How PSG and Messi fared against Lyon in Ligue 1

Within the 72nd minute, cameras confirmed Messi flexing his left knee as if it had been giving him issues simply moments earlier than the substitution. However those self same cameras additionally confirmed him flashing a thumbs-up sign within the course of the bench, indicating that he’d be simply high quality.

With all eyes on Messi in his first match at his new residence stadium, the Parc des Princes, he clearly did not wish to depart the sphere with the sport on the road. However his coach took care of that for him moments later. 

Why was Messi’s substitution so controversial?

Messi’s change along with his coach as he got here off the sphere might be finest described as terse. It wasn’t your typical sub and his teammates on the bench appeared to select up on it.

When social media acquired maintain of the video and pictures, the sequence of occasions rapidly unfold:

“These are choices one has to make for the workforce,” Pochettino instructed media postgame, in response to a translation of his feedback from French. “Everyone is aware of we’ve got nice gamers, however one has to make decisions. Generally choices are optimistic or not, however that is why you may have a supervisor: to make choices. You possibly can agree with [a decision] or not. I requested [Messi] how he was and he mentioned to me that he was OK, no issues.

MORE: Messi’s Champions League debut with PSG

“Everyone is aware of that Messi is a superb participant. There are 5 subs (accessible) and it is apparent that gamers by no means like to come back off the sphere. One has to make choices. I am on the bench to make choices. His response? Tremendous, no worries.”

Though Pochettino’s speedy postgame feedback did not handle the knee harm, in his Tuesday press conference, he made it clear that it was all in regards to the left nee and the club confirmed that an MRI picked up a bone bruise and extra follow-up checks can be required. He is prone to miss the midweek Ligue 1 match at Metz.

“On the sidelines we observe the gamers and we’re seeing what’s taking place through the sport. We noticed that Leo was checking himself and checking his knee and making some actions. And we noticed him take a shot,” Pochettino mentioned. “With all the data that we had, we made the choice to make a change. That’s the state of affairs.

“The precedence is at all times what’s finest for the participant,” he continued. “With the data we had, we thought the perfect factor for him after 75 minutes was to go away the sphere. Clearly, a champion and all the massive champions at all times wish to keep on the sphere. That’s comprehensible. I’m not shocked [at the reaction to the substitution]. It’s regular that these items occur.”

How typically is Messi subbed out of video games?

The 34-year-old Messi is in his first season with PSG after signing with the club on Aug. 10. He made his debut coming off the bench on Aug. 29 against Stade de Reims and made his first start in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in Belgium towards Membership Brugge. The match towards Lyon was his first begin in Ligue 1 in entrance of his residence crowd and he clearly needed to go away a very good impression.

MORE: PSG’s updated season schedule

However the substitution additionally most likely caught Messi off guard as a result of he not often will get subbed out. Based on stats compiled by Transfermarkt, he has been subbed out of matches simply 4 instances because the 2017-18 marketing campaign and 71 instances throughout his 804 profession appearances for Barcelona and PSG in all competitions (8.8 p.c of his matches).

Based on one Spanish outlet, the final time Messi got here off the sphere in a non-injury substitution was in March 2010:

Mix Messi’s response with the stress he is beneath to ship, the rarity of the substitution and Pochettino’s postgame feedback, and you’ve got your self a second that can doubtless be mentioned for days to come back: