Paris Saint-German has made the eye-opening decision to suspend superstar Lionel Messi two weeks without pay for his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, per reports from RMC Sport and L’Equipe.
As first reported by L’Equipe, PSG manager Christophe Galtier told his players that they could have Monday and Tuesday off should they defeat Lorient on Sunday.
However, PSG lost 3-1 to the mid-table side in a dismal effort at Parc des Princes. After that defeat, however, Messi went ahead and flew to Saudi Arabia anyway on Monday without asking for permission.
Meanwhile, back in Paris, PSG’s squad trained on Monday without Messi.
Messi is a paid spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s tourism board, and made an appearance with his family in Riyadh on Monday.
The Argentinian will now miss PSG’s next two games, against Troyes on Sunday and against Ajaccio on May 13.
According to multiple reports, Messi’s unauthorized trip caused tension within PSG’s locker room, with several players feeling as though the Argentine superstar was getting preferential treatment.
That, in part, led club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to make the extraordinary decision to suspend one of the game’s all-time greats.
Messi’s contract at PSG expires at the end of the current season, with his next destination subject to plenty of speculation. This latest strife between Messi and his club would seem to make it more likely that the 35-year-old will leave Paris after two seasons following the conclusion of the current campaign.
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