"I Prefer Cristiano Ronaldo": Paolo Di Canio Slams Lionel Messi & Neymar After PSG Fans Boo

Lionel Messi and Neymar were defended by Cesc Fabregas after being booed by Paris Saint-Germain fans, but Paolo Di Canio was far less sympathetic.

Messi and Neymar were jeered before kick-off in Sunday's Ligue 1 match against Bordeaux and the booing continued during the game, which PSG won 3-0.

PSG fans were angry at their South American star duo for failing to deliver in their previous match - a 3-1 defeat at Real Madrid which saw the French side eliminated from the Champions League.

Fabregas, who played with Messi and Neymar for former club Barcelona, tweeted: "Football has no memory whatsoever… it's a shame. Always with you brothers".

But former Lazio, Juventus, Napoli, Milan, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Charlton striker Di Canio believes the booing was justified.

Di Canio feels that Messi has shown a lack of character since leaving Barcelona for PSG last summer.

"I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo," Di Canio told Sky Sport Italia.

Ronaldo scored a hat-trick for Manchester United against Tottenham on Saturday.

Jus six days earlier he had been criticized for flying home to Portugal instead of watching United lose 4-1 to Manchester City when he was injured.

Di Canio said: "Messi goes out, touches his hair and has no emotions. We talk about Cristiano Ronaldo... 'Do you want me to be on the bench against Manchester City? I'm not coming, I go to Portugal, I come back and score hat-trick.'

"Between the two, not based on talent, I prefer the human who made himself and has a soul and a heart."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Spurs

IMAGO/Martin Rickett

Ronaldo scored more league goals in one game on Saturday than Messi has produced all season in France.

Di Canio added: "His lack of character has come out. And you say: 'Can such a talent be so weak temperamentally?' And then one wonders if he can be booed. Of course he can be booed.

"Thousands arrive waiting for you, the dream, the wonder. You will make us dream but the attitude [from Messi] is not that."

This has been Messi's first season in France, while it is Neymar's fifth.

Lionel Messi pictured warming up in front of Neymar, before PSG's game with Bordeaux

IMAGO/Panoramic/Federico Pestellini

Neymar recently said on the Fenomenos podcast that he would like to play in America's Major League Soccer in the future.

When asked why, Neymar joked: "First of all, their season is shorter, so I'd get three months' vacation."

Di Canio obviously did not see the funny side. His rant continued: "Neymar is even worse.

"For his talent he is not doing great and then he does an interview a month ago and says: 'I can't wait to go play in MLS because I will have at least three months of vacation a year.'

"You must have some problems."

Paolo Di Canio pictured in 2013 when he was manager of Sunderland

IMAGO/Colorsport

Di Canio was no stranger to booing during his playing career - and not just because he played for so many rival teams in Italy.

During his time at Sheffield Wednesday, Di Canio held the title of the Premier League's ultimate bad boy after being banned for 11 games in 1998 for pushing over referee Paul Alcock.

He went from zero to hero in the fair-play stakes two years later though.

In 2000, Di Canio famously passed up a chance for score for West Ham at Everton because goalkeeper Paul Gerrard had fallen down injured.