Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 6y

Ronaldinho's Paul Pogba criticisms enrage ex-PSG coach Luis Fernandez

Ronaldinho has annoyed Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Fernandez after advising Manchester United's Paul Pogba to "respect" coach Jose Mourinho.

Speaking with Canal+, Ronaldinho, who played for PSG during his career, told Pogba to accept Mourinho's decisions.

Ronaldinho, 38, then laid into Fernandez, his coach at PSG and now the club's youth academy sporting director, by saying that Fernandez's opinion was of inferior value to Mourinho's.

"It is different -- when Jose tells you that you are going to be on the bench, you must respect that," Ronaldinho said. "[Fernandez], not so much.

"There is a difference between the two. I think that Paul can really learn a lot from Jose. He is one of the best in world when it comes to coaching. A coach who has won that many titles and possesses that much knowledge has to be respected, really.

"In my case, it was more the contrary."

Fernandez, who led PSG to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue, UEFA Intertoto Cup and the Trophee des Champions during two separate spells as coach, hit back at Ronaldinho through Twitter.

"He was a very, very great player but less so away from the pitch," Fernandez said. "His lifestyle stopped him from becoming a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi. To see him like this, he is a mess."

Ronaldinho is now an ambassador for Barcelona, whom he joined from PSG and where he won the 2005 Ballon d'Or.

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