Paris Saint-Germain have ‘suspended’ Lionel Messi for two weeks after he made an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
The Argentine forward made the move to the French capital in the summer of 2021 after Barcelona were unable to renew his contract due to their dire financial situation.
Messi had a difficult debut season but has enjoyed a much better 2022-23 campaign.
The highlight of the season will not have come at club level, however, after he led Argentina to World Cup glory last December.
PSG has been a bit of a circus in recent years, which is to be expected when you have so many high-profile players.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have enjoyed their fair share of drama, and now it is Messi’s turn.
According to French outlet RMC Sport, Messi has been suspended for two weeks having travelled to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission.
PSG will not pay the 35-year-old his wage during his suspension and he will not train or play.
The Ligue 1 champions did not want to ‘let this misconduct pass’ after the player missed Monday’s training session.
President Nasser Al-Khelaifi was eager to show that ‘no player is above the institution’.
The suspension means Messi will miss the league games against Troyes and AC Ajaccio.
Messi went to Saudi Arabia as he is an ambassador for the country. His visit was ‘part of his lucrative contract worth around 30 million euros annually’.
It is noted that the trip ‘surprised’ his teammates and sporting director Luis Campos.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news on Twitter.
Writing on social media on Tuesday evening, Romano said: ‘Paris Saint-Germain have decided to suspend Lionel Messi with immediate effect for two weeks, sources confirm.
‘The suspension will take place now after Messi’s trip to Saudi NOT authorized by the club as per RMC Sport.
‘Messi side, still waiting on official communication.’
He then added: ‘Paris Saint-Germain confirm to AFP they are set to “discipline football star Lionel Messi over his trip to Saudi Arabia”.
The suspension will be valid for the next two weeks — it could include no chance to play games and participate to group trainings.
Meanwhile, L’Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi has said Messi will not be at PSG next season.
Barcelona are believed to be pushing to bring Messi back to the Nou Camp in the summer.
They will need to offload two or three first-team players in order to afford the club legend.
The 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season.
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