Lionel Messi has released a video on his Instagram account to apologize to Paris Saint-Germain and his teammates for missing training to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Sources told ESPN on Tuesday that Lionel Messi has been suspended for two weeks without pay after missing training on Monday and flying to Saudi Arabia. Sources said PSG boss Christophe Galtier told his team that if they beat Lorient on Sunday they would get Monday and Tuesday off, but defeat would result in the squad being called up for training on Monday. PSG lost the match 3-1.
Messi said in a video posted on his Instagram on Friday that he thought he could go on the trip because he had had time off in the “previous weeks”.
“I wanted to make this video because of what’s going on,” said the World Cup-winning captain. “First of all, of course, I apologize to my team-mates and the club. I honestly thought we would have a day off after the game, as we have in previous weeks.”
“I organized this trip to [Saudi] Arabia, which I canceled before and I couldn’t [this time]. I repeat I’m sorry for what I did and I’m waiting for the club to decide.”
PSG boss Galtier told a press conference on Friday that he had “nothing to do” with Messi’s suspension and that management had informed him of the decision earlier in the week.
Sources told on Wednesday that Messi will leave PSG when his contract expires this summer, despite an agreement in principle to extend his stay at the club ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. Sources added that Messi’s trip to Saudi Arabia caused tension in the dressing room as some players were unhappy about the incident.
On Wednesday, hundreds of PSG supporters gathered outside the club’s Paris headquarters to express their anger at Messi, as well as team-mate Neymar and president Nasser al-Khelaifi.
PSG remain top of the Ligue 1 table, five points ahead of second-placed Marseille, despite losing three of their last six games.
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