Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has been issued a two-week suspension by the club for taking an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
PSG manager Christophe Galtier had reportedly notified the squad that with a win over Lorient on Ligue 1 matchday 33, the entire team would earn days off on both Monday and Tuesday. As PSG came away with a 3-1 defeat to Lorient, Galtier opted to schedule a training session for Monday.
Messi ended up missing PSG’s scheduled training session on Monday. The Argentine was reportedly in Saudi Arabia to honor a sponsorship deal, as he is a tourism ambassador for the country. He reportedly did not receive permission from the club to take this trip.
Laurens notes that the entire debacle “created tensions within the dressing room.” He adds that “some players” on the team were not pleased with the “incident.”
Overall, Messi will reportedly not be allowed to feature for PSG in its upcoming Ligue 1 fixtures against Troyes and AC Ajaccio. PSG currently holds a five-point lead over second-place side Olympique de Marseille atop the Ligue 1 table.
