Messi suspended for his trip to Saudi Arabia and not extended

2023-05-02 21:12:00

Expected in training the day after the defeat against Lorient, Lionel Messi went to Saudi Arabia without the agreement of his club. Sanctioned, it should not be extended.

By Nathan Joubioux for Le Point

Lionel Messi will miss the next two Ligue 1 games after being suspended for two weeks by his club.
© MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / Matthieu Mirville / DPPI via AFP

Published on 05/02/2023 at 9:12 p.m.

UOnce again, PSG is more talked about for its extra-sports business than for football. This Tuesday, May 2, Lionel Messi was suspended by the Parisian club for having traveled to Saudi Arabia for two days without the club’s authorization. According to RMC Sport and L’Crew, the duration of the suspension would amount to two weeks.

While the whole group met at Camp des Loges on Monday, after the 3-1 defeat against FC Lorient, the Argentinian went to the Gulf country. This trip, judged as a “serious error” internally, falls within the framework of his contract as a tourism ambassador which binds him to Saudi Arabia. A juicy partnership for which he receives 30 million euros each year.

READ ALSOLigue 1: look forward to the end of the season for PSG, beaten by LorientDuring his suspension, he will not be able to play or train and will not be paid. He will therefore be absent against Troyes on Sunday, as well as against Ajaccio on May 13, while PSG is still not guaranteed, mathematically, to be crowned champion of France.

This disciplinary procedure comes at a decisive moment for the future of Messi at PSG, because the latter, rather tasteless in recent weeks on the lawns, is at the end of his contract with the club of the French capital. According The Teamthis escapade convinced the leaders not to extend the Argentine star next season.