A penalty as severe as it is apparently premonitory. He Paris Saint-Germain has sanctioned Lionel Messi with two weeks without playing or training due to his unauthorized travel to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine star will not receive his millionaire salary during that period either, according to the French radio station RMC. The Parisian team decided this Tuesday afternoon on this disciplinary process against one of its stars. A severe measure taken by President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, after Messi surprised his PSG teammates by missing training on Monday.
The Argentine star traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday to participate in a series of events within the framework of his sponsorship agreement with the Tourism Office of this Gulf country. Due to this displacement, not authorized by PSG, Messi did not participate in Monday’s training in the sports city of the Qatar-owned team. According to the French press, neither his teammates nor the sports director, Luis Campos, were aware of the trip. The images of Messi with his family in the Gulf country further angered the environment of the capital team.
#WelcomeMessi to Diriyah, the land of traditions, heritage and history. Leo Messi, his wife Antonella and his sons Mateo and Ciro had an enjoyable tour where they learned about the history of Saudi and met its generous and hospitable people in At-Turaif. pic.twitter.com/vna7y63m2u
— Ahmed Al Khateeb أحمد الخطيب (@AhmedAlKhateeb) May 2, 2023
Messi’s environment denies, however, this version. He assures that he did notify the PSG management of the trip, since Initially, two days of rest were planned for Parisian footballers. And he justifies his absence due to the programming at the last moment of training on Monday.
In principle, PSG should not train on Monday (a holiday as it is International Workers’ Day) or on Tuesday. After the unexpected defeat (1-3) in the Parc des Princes against the modest Lorient — a mishap that came at a time of tension in the often-turbulent Paris dressing room — coach Christophe Galtier announced a recovery session for Monday. According to the environment of the former Barça captain, when this training session was announced, Messi was already flying to Arabia. In short, it was all due to a “misunderstanding”.
Farther and farther from Paris?
Despite this, PSG adopted a severe sanction and the Argentine crash will lose the next two Ligue 1 games. The one next Sunday as a visitor against Troyes and the one on May 13 against AC Ajaccio. He will not return to the pitch until May 21. An absence that will occur at a time when the difference between PSG, leader and favorite to defend the league title, has been adjusted with respect to Olympique de Marseille, the second classified. With five games to go, they are only separated by five points from their eternal rival.
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With a total of 20 goals and 19 assists In all the competitions, Messi is having a good second season at the Parque de los Príncipes. His level of play is much better than his disappointing first year. After a stellar first few months, however, his performance dropped after the World Cup in Qatar. Some voices in the Parisian environment accuse him, in part, of the irregularity of the Parisian team. “I don’t question his career or his talent, which are fantastic, but his arrival at PSG has been a complete failure“, assured the ex-soccer player Jérôme Rothen, turned into a successful sports journalist.
From PSG, they have presented the disciplinary process as a reflection of Al-Khelaïfi’s new will not to let his galactics pass. However, this harsh sanction comes at a time when they are negotiations frozen between the Parisian leaders and Messi’s representatives about his possible renewal. His continuity in the French capital is trading very low. The harshness of the president against one of his cracks seems to outline a divorce from June 30. Many already take it for granted.