Messi has been suspended by the club for 2 weeks with immediate effect, blamed on an unauthorised visit to Saudi Arabia

According to confirmed reports from France, Lionel Messi has been suspended for 2 weeks by his club, PSG, with immediate effect. The management made the decision after the Argentine failed to show up for training and travelled to Saudi Arabia without permission.

The Argentine star played the full 90 minutes in Sunday’s match against Lorient, in which Christophe Galtier’s charges shocked after losing 1: 3.

Just minutes after the unexpected but well-deserved defeat, Messi and his family boarded a private jet bound for Saudi Arabia. All without the knowledge or permission of the club itself.

It was a contractually agreed visit, as the winger remains an ambassador for Saudi tourism until now. He visited the Middle Eastern country for the third time and was spotted at Riyadh airport.

His arrival, however, caused a big stir among club members, including the board and the players themselves. He was not approved by anyone.

As a punishment, the Argentine has been sidelined by the management and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will not see the green armpit for the next two weeks.

Considering the fact that Messi’s contract expires this summer, this could be his last appearance at Princes Park. Furthermore, he certainly hasn’t endeared himself to the Parisians fans either.

Saudi Arabia‘s top tourism official Ahmed Al-Khateeb welcomed the player on social media upon his arrival, saying

“We are delighted to share our authentic welcome with you, ” the Sheikh added. According to reports, the Argentine earns a respectable 25 million euros a year by working with the Saudis. But that does not change the fact that coach Galtier or sporting director Campos had no idea of his departure.

The iconic footballer will thus miss the duels with Troyes and AC Ajaccio and could potentially return to the pitch on May 21 for the match against Auexerre.

Source: Twitter, Sportbible