Former France defender Bixente Lizarazu said he is ashamed of the way Lionel Messi has been treated at Paris Saint-Germain.
He said the Argentine deserves more respect after fans jeered at the World Cup winner on Saturday.
Messi was suspended for two weeks after the Argentine made a trip to Saudi Arabia without permission, but the punishment was reduced after he issued an apology in a video.
Messi returned to PSG’s starting lineup in their Ligue 1 game against AC Ajaccio on Saturday, but the decision did not sit well with many fans of the French champions, who subjected the superstar to whistles when his name was announced ahead of the game.
There are clear indications that the 35-year-old could leave the club at the end of the season, when his contract expires.
“I’m ashamed of the way we treat Messi,” Lizarazu said on the French football programme Telefoot.
“He is not having a disastrous season; he has scored 15 goals and provided 15 assists (in Ligue 1). Yes, since the World Cup, it has gone down, of course.
“But we are talking about the best or one of the best players in history. We can’t treat him like an ordinary player”.
