Domenech scathing about Barcelona and Leo Messi ahead of PSG game
The former French coach has criticised Barça and says Messi is losing his powers
Former France coach Raymond Domenech doesn't need to watch Barcelona's game against PSG to know that Barça aren't capable of turning around a 4-0 loss from the first leg -- even if the have Leo Messi.
In an article in L'Equipe, he says that Barça are a "shadow of that team that dominated Europe"" and that the Argentine no longer "has the energy as when he was 20" and he will not have a "magic wand" to guide the Blaugrana through.
"Football is a collective sport and a player cannot win a game -- [Messi] is the arms but he's not the soldier," Domenech said.
On Barça, he highlighted their "defensive weaknesses" as well as "other deficiencies" in the middle of the pitch.
And he added: "The strong point of the Catalans has been a fantastic trio in midfield, Iniesta, Busquets, Xaxi and later Rakitic. Iniesta's a shadow of what he's been, Busquets suffers with the tactical changes and Xavi's not really been replaced, neither has Alves.
"Barça frequently have problems when their opposition attack and have to battle to recover the ball and keep it. And they also have problems executing their tactical systems."
On Messi, he continued: "The image that remains from the first leg is Kimpembe getting the better of Messi through power, how can you think that he will have a magic wand in the second leg."
Domenech now believes that Messi is not at his best level, that "surrounded by problems extending his contract, he no longer has the energy he had when he was a 20-year-old."
"He's a bit more calculated. He's lost that spontaneity, that strength in his dribbling and he insists on taking free-kicks even though Neymar's better than him in that respect. All to continue being that demigod he's been. It's not easy to see how little by little you lose your talent."
