Messi suspended for two weeks by PSG for unauthorised Saudi trip

PARIS: Lionel Messi has been disciplined by Paris Saint-Germain for his trip to Saudi Arabia without the club's permission, a source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Xinhua.

The source on Tuesday didn't specify the length of the suspension, but French media RMC and L'Equipe reported earlier in the day that the Argentine star will be hit with a two-week suspension with "no training, no match, and no salary."

Messi, who had played in PSG's 3-1 home defeat to Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday, wasn't present at the team's training session the following day as he traveled to Saudi Arabia to attend a commercial activity as a tourism ambassador.

L'Equipe reported that PSG coach Christophe Galtier had initially planned two days off - Monday and Tuesday - for his players if they beat Lorient. Otherwise, the team would train on Monday and have Tuesday off. However, Messi made the decision to go to Saudi Arabia without getting the green light from the club.

A two-week suspension means that Messi will miss his team's away match against Troyes and the home clash with Ajaccio. His contract with PSG expires at the end of this season, and it's very likely that he has only three more games to play with the French capital team since the two sides seem to have drifted apart.

Arriving in Paris as a free agent in 2021, the 35-year-old FIFA World Cup winner scored 15 goals and registered 15 assists in Ligue 1 this season. But PSG's failures in the UEFA Champions League have annoyed supporters, as Messi has been booed several times at the Parc des Princes by home fans over the past two seasons.