Pochettino Justifies Decision of Substituting Messi
PSG's manager explains his decision of substituting Messi in the 76th minute during his team's match against Lyons.
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Pochettino explained that he substituted Messi to protect him from a possible injury.
Argentine star Lionel Messi has shown his frustration after being substituted in the 76th minute of the Paris Saint-Germain match against Lyon, which ended 2-1 for PSG during the sixth stage of the French Football League.
While leaving the field, Messi seemed shocked by PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino's decision, and refused to salute Pochettino back.
The newcomer performed well in the first half of the match and was close to scoring a free-kick.
During a press conference after the match, Pochettino explained that he took his decision to protect Messi from a possible injury, especially that the team has important matches coming ahead. He also emphasized that "managers are there to make decisions".
For his part, French former star Thierry Henry said that he understands Messi's behavior, mentioning that he was not surprised, because Messi wanted to stay on the field to score a goal. He added that even the best player in the world needs some time to adapt to changes.
