PSG forward Lionel Messi has finally reacted to his suspension from the PSG squad following his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
Messi was hit with a two-week suspension after he jetted out of France to Saudi Arabia to honor his £25m-a-year ambassadorial deal with Saudi Arabia.
His trip came just a day after the club suffered a French Ligue 1 home defeat to Lorient.
After the game, PSG players were ordered to turn up for team training the next day.
Messi skipped the training and traveled to Saudi Arabia.
According to reports from French media outlets, PSG did not approve Lionel Messi’s trip.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier is said to have objected to the trip since it clashed with the scheduled training after the Lorient defeat but Lionel Messi defied the club and still proceeded on the trip.
While in Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi was slammed with a two-week ban from the squad by PSG for the unauthorized trip.
He was axed off the PSG squad and is not expected to play for the club in the next two weeks following the ban.
Lionel Messi react to PSG ban
Lionel Messi has finally reacted to his two weeks ban by PSG for his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
Via a viral video made public on Friday night, May 5, Lionel Messi issued a grovelling apology to PSG and his teammates for the unauthorized trip.
Messi stressed that he did not intentionally defy the club by undertaking the trip. He also stressed that he had planned for the trip ahead of the game against Lorient, taking into consideration the club’s usual training schedule after matchdays.
He said he had thought the club would allow a usual one-day off for players after the Lorient game and he had already planned for the trip to take place during the one-day off.
Messi added he could not cancel the trip after the club rescheduled the training session because he had already canceled it before.
“I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always. I had this trip organized and I couldn’t cancel it. I had already canceled it before…”.
“I apologize to my teammates and I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me.”
Following the ban, Messi will not train and play with the club for two weeks.
The faceoff between him and the French Ligue 1 champions is coming at the backdrop of their fractured relationship of recent.
Messi’s two-year contract at PSG will expire at the end of this season. With just few weeks left on his contract, a new deal is yet to be brokered and talks between both parties have broken down.
Futballnews understands the record Ballon d’Or winner is not in good terms with PSG and will leave the club at the end of the season.
David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the MLS are still eyeing a move for the highly-rated playmaker.
Saudi Arabia are also planning a mega offer that will make Messi the highest-paid footballer in the world to lure him to the Saudi Pro League.
His former team, Barcelona, are also on his trail to bring him back to the club with reports emerging he is ready to take a pay cut to return to Camp Nou.
With a fractured relationship between Lionel Messi and PSG, it is certain Messi’s spell with the Ligue 1 giants will come to an end at the end of the season.
In his two-year stint with the club, he has 23 goals in 54 appearances for the club.
