PSG superstar Lionel Messi has apologized after his unauthorized Saudi Arabia trip that resulted in a suspension. Messi said in a video apology that he is still “waiting to hear” from the team on his future after Sunday’s 3-1 home loss to Lorient in Ligue 1.
“I want to start by apologizing to the club and my teammates. Sincerely, I had assumed that we would take a day off following the game, as we have in prior weeks,” PSG superstar Lionel Messi said. “I had already canceled the trip that I had planned. Again, I was unable to cancel it. I want to apologize again for what I did. I’m eager to find out what the club has in mind for me.”
Following his suspension, it was revealed on Wednesday that Messi will leave PSG at the conclusion of the current season since the French champions had no plans to renew his contract. The Argentine star is rumored to have twice canceled a planned business trip due to team defeats, but he is also believed to have asked PSG for permission to travel on a personal promotional tour to Saudi Arabia, which he did on Sunday night. Messi, however, was refused that permission, and as a consequence, after a day of discussions with the club’s management, he was handed a two-game suspension and fined two weeks’ wages.
The 35-year-old posted a selfie to social media on Monday announcing his arrival to Riyadh. Messi already stands in for Saudi Arabia’s travel sector. The club’s response rate, which is based on feedback from the public, is proof of a new approach being implemented at PSG under the direction of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, where everyone will be held to the same standards and the club itself would be the only entity with any power. Although he could return for the game on May 21 against Auxerre, Messi will miss the subsequent Ligue 1 games against Troyes and Ajaccio.
Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is interested in signing Messi when his deal with PSG expires this summer. In order to market a league that would feature both Cristiano Ronaldo and the 2022 World Cup champion, they are prepared to offer him an insane £400 million for only one season. Only a few hours after Messi completed the full 90 minutes of PSG’s loss to Lorient, which cut their lead over the competition to just five points with just as many games left, the tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb tweeted a cordial greeting to Messi and shared pictures of the World Cup champion of Argentina.
Due to their financial troubles, Messi departed Barcelona in the summer of 2021, and he signed a two-year contract with PSG. The 35-year-old has played in 71 games for the French squad, scoring 31 goals and dishing out 34 assists while also helping his country win the title in 2022. The future of Neymar at PSG is uncertain. Since the ‘bling-bling’ period is coming to an end and they want to go a fresh direction, they would be open to hearing suggestions for Neymar. Neymar’s recent struggles have caused them to previously be open to offers for him.
On Wednesday, PSG supporters demonstrated in front of his home while yelling “Get out of our club.” PSG issued a statement yesterday night strongly denouncing that. There is a lot of commotion surrounding Neymar, and I believe PSG believes they no longer require this noise. His departure would, in my opinion, be in line with their new approach. PSG wants to be the club equivalent of the France team at the World Cup with youthful, humble, and eager French players, not the Harlem Globetrotters or the Dream Team.
It was a smart decision to get him in the first place since they were thinking about hosting the World Cup in Qatar. By signing Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar, the star of Brazilian football, the owners ensured that PSG possessed the bulk of the best players. The dream final with Messi and Mbappe was then visible to them. PSG has also made money from a business standpoint. PSG staff would tell you that the deal was advantageous from a business perspective, despite the fact that they are giving him a great contract, as I am aware of. It was a business bargain for Qatar, though, since it was fantastic branding and marketing.
For more football news, click here
