Paris Saint-Germain reportedly dropped a news bombshell after various outlets revealed that the capital club had suspended Lionel Messi after the 35-year-old took an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner’s suspension will last two weeks, causing him to miss the next pair of contests.
Nonetheless, the Messi era likely ends in a disappointing matter, with his contract expiring in June. Brazilian football legend Rivaldo believes Messi could’ve handled the situation rather than just heading abroad.
“It saddened me a little to see Lionel Messi adopt this kind of attitude, disrespectful towards his current club, something unusual in his career, which has always been marked by a clean sheet when it comes to discipline,” Rivaldo told Spanish media outlet AS.
“He could certainly have done otherwise. There were other alternatives: Talk to the club, wait for the Saudi leaders to come to Paris, or even wait until the end of the season to find an agreement with PSG without causing this internal problem.”
Messi likely had the trip booked in advance, as reports suggest that had PSG defeated FC Lorient on Sunday, manager Christophe Galtier would’ve given the squad Monday and Tuesday off.
However, the capital club fell 3-1 at home, resulting in Monday being a training session rather than an off day.
The odd behavior displayed by Messi is the final nail to cap off his time in the French capital, which many will view as a disappointment since the Ligue 1 side didn’t win the UEFA Champions League.
