Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Christophe Galtier has spoken out in defense of his star player Lionel Messi, saying that the whistles against him are “very harsh”.

Messi has been the target of whistles from some sections of the PSG fans recently, despite his impressive performances for the team.

Galtier’s comments came after PSG suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lyon on Sunday, their second consecutive home loss, which saw their lead at the top of Ligue 1 cut to six points.

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However, some fans at the Parc des Princes stadium chose to whistle the Argentinean, which has been a recurring issue for the team in recent weeks.

Speaking to Prime Video after the game, Galtier defended Messi and called for other players to step up and take more responsibility in the team.

“Leo is a player who gives a lot. He also gave a lot in the first part of the season but it is also up to other players to have more functions,” Galtier said.

“We are waiting for Leo and Kylian Mbappe to unlock situations, but around Leo, the players must take more responsibility because we can’t expect everything to come from them,” he added.

Messi joined PSG last summer after leaving Barcelona, where he had spent his entire professional career.

The 34-year-old has been in impressive form for PSG this season, scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions.

He has formed a formidable attacking partnership with Mbappe and Neymar, but the team has struggled to find consistency in recent weeks.