Kvaratskhelia's Slow Start with PSG Sparks Debate Between Rothen and Di Meco

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has begun his season with Paris Saint-Germain without much flair, mirroring his performance in their recent 2-1 win over Marseille in Ligue 1. Similar to last year, the Champions League's top player from the previous season, who did not participate in the 2026 World Cup with Georgia, is starting the campaign slowly. This has ignited a lively discussion on the RMC program "Rothen s’enflamme" this Monday.

His season kicked off with a bang at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg. A powerful shot under the crossbar from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia propelled PSG to a prestigious victory against Aston Villa in the European Super Cup on August 12th in Austria (2-1). This remains his only goal of the season so far. Since this promising start against the Villans, the 25-year-old winger has been producing understated performances, struggling to make a significant impact. He is far from the level that made him a credible Ballon d'Or contender for 2026.

Substituted at halftime in the 2-2 draw at Rennes and regularly benched by Luis Enrique, though still featuring in every match, the Georgian international (50 caps, 23 goals) is experiencing a quiet start to the season. This was evident in his play during PSG's 2-1 victory in Marseille on Sunday in Ligue 1. At the Vélodrome, the Tbilisi native, who missed the 2026 World Cup this summer, had 42 touches, attempted 2 shots (one on target), and 2 dribbles before being replaced by Ferran Torres, who proved decisive shortly after. This has led to an intense debate on the RMC show Rothen s’enflamme this Monday.

"What I criticize him for is everything that makes him strong – his commitment," stated Jérôme Rothen. "There's the sequence of competitions, but he still had a few vacation days. I'm not asking him to be at his absolute best… but when we talk about the Ballon d'Or, we must demand more. I don't know if he'll win it, but when you're a contender, things must happen when you step onto the field."

"I'm not saying he needs to be consistently brilliant, effective, and outstanding, but frankly, since the season began, it's like his brother showed up."

"There's a strategic season management"

"There was a glimpse of a good game when PSG lost to Monaco (1-2), where he assisted Marquinhos. That's not enough," believes Jérôme Rothen. "You need to show more. Watching his performance in Marseille, I'm left wanting more. I hope the international break, during which he will reconnect with Willy Sagnol (Georgia's coach), allows him to regain confidence so we can see a Kvaratskhelia in better form, both mentally and physically. Because, for now, that's not the case."

Éric Di Meco completely disagrees with this assessment of the previous Champions League's best player. "Last year, he had the same kind of start to the season, and we remember how he finished it," he recalled. "It's very rare for a player to start a season strongly, accelerate in the middle, and finish even stronger."

He continued: "There's a strategic management of the season. These are players accustomed to the 'money time.' For PSG, that's generally from February to May. Why wouldn't that extend?… I don't even understand how we can debate Kvaratskhelia given what he's done since arriving at PSG..."