Mauricio Pochettino, manager of Paris Saint-Germain, has stated that forward Lionel Messi is having a difficult season.

Messi joined PSG on a free transfer from his childhood club, Barcelona, last summer.

Following a poor first season at the Parc des Princes, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been blasted by PSG supporters and the media.

The Argentine captain has only scored four goals in Ligue 1 this season and then struggled as PSG were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 by Real Madrid.

Speaking on Messi’s unimpressive stat in his debut campaign at PSG, Pochettino was quoted by L’Equipe as saying: “I think it was due to bad luck. It’s unbelievable because we could have won the game on that last play, where he hits the bar.

“He’s a top-quality player, and I think he’s just suffering from bad luck this season. Unfortunately, with all those posts, he didn’t have the opportunity to score more goals.”