Philipp Lahm has criticised the Paris Saint-Germain project, describing the club's tactics as leaving Lionel Messi looking 'helpless and desperate.'
The former Bayern Munich defender watched his former club eliminate PSG from the Champions League earlier this month in the round of 16 for the fifth time since Qatar Sports Investments took charge of the club in 2011.
The French side were defeated by Bayern Munich 3-0 over two legs, and Lahm voiced his displeasure at the PSG project.
He said: “You feel for the many PSG fans who came to Munich. Their hope that something could come together dies every year. PSG can make you sad.
“In Munich (March 8), you saw none of the class that team with such outstanding players really have.
“They were a huge disappointment and this exorbitantly expensive team is like a luxury department store.
“Qatar invests millions in PSG. Politically the strategy works but on the sporting level the team is a disappointment and the club remains a bland experience.”
Despite boasting the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Messi in their squad, PSG are still yet to win the European competition, being defeated by Bayern in the final in 2020.
Messi, who is approaching the end of his contract with the club, is yet to sign a new deal and Lahm believes that the Ligue 1 leaders are wasting the Argentine's talent.
Lahm said: “His talent is not being integrated (in the team.)
“Messi is integrated into the Argentina team just like Mbappe in the France team. All for one and one for all.
“In Munich (March 8), he was merely waiting for the ball to fall to his feet.
“But his abilities are being deployed with no reason or target and he (Messi) looked helpless and desperate.”
Lahm also hinted at Mbappe potentially having to leave the club to realise his true potential.
He added: “In Munich (March 8), he was merely waiting for the ball to fall to his feet.
“I am missing any imagination on how Mbappe's career shall be made to blossom.”
PSG are next in action against Lyon on April 2.