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| Messi, who was suspended from the club for going to Saudi Arabia, 'got two weeks off |
French club PSG has suspended football star Lionel Messi for two weeks for traveling to Saudi Arabia without permission this week.
On Sunday, Argentina captain Lionel Messi played the full ninety minutes in a club match before leaving for a tour of Saudi Arabia.
Messi will not be able to play or practice with PSG during the suspension. According to some reports, they will not even get compensation for these two weeks.
The 35-year-old Messi is believed to have asked the club for permission to travel to Saudi Arabia to do some commercial work. He has been given the status of 'ambassador' for tourism in the country, but the club refused.
PSG has also fined Messi for becoming a tourism ambassador in Saudi Arabia.
The World Cup-winning Argentina captain's two-year contract with the club expires this summer.
Meanwhile, Barcelona vice-president Rafael Yuste claimed in March that the Spanish club was in talks for Messi's return.
In the matches played for PSG, Messi scored 31 goals and assisted 34 goals in 71 matches. Last season, he led the club to the League One title.
But now after the suspension, Messi will not be able to participate in some important matches at PSG. Despite this, the club has a good chance of winning the title.
'Consider Messi's career over for PSG'
According to BBC Support's Simon Stone, Lionel Messi has made a decision that looks set to end his time at PSG.
Messi's suspension will leave him with three games to play for the club and the title is still some way off for the club this season, but PSG have now changed their intentions. Messi is not visible in his new strategy.
Messi achieved the biggest success of his career by winning the Football World Cup five months ago.
PSG will probably feel that their move is not unusual. In his view, he punished an employee for going miles away from the workplace, and that too without permission.
But the club must be thinking that it needs to look to its future, which will have more of a role for young players. This move by PSG is also an example of the policy of 'zero tolerance' for violation of rules and regulations.
PSG fans also know that they will no longer need Messi. It has been made clear that his contract will not be extended.
"Messi got two weeks off"
For a few days, the pictures of Messi in which he is celebrating a holiday in Saudi Arabia are being seen on social media.
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib wrote in a tweet that "I welcome Messi and his family to Saudi Arabia." Here they can enjoy attractive tourist spots and leisure time.
We welcome tourists from all over the world to visit Saudi Arabia and enjoy our hospitality.
He described Messi as the 'Ambassador of Tourism in Saudi Arabia' and said that this is his second visit to this country.
One user viewed Messi's suspension positively. "Messi got two weeks off where he won't have to watch PSG's bad game," he says. He proved to be the greatest player.
Another user pointed out that with Messi's arrival in Saudi Arabia, there are also reports that Ronaldo wants to leave Al Nasr Club.
According to Saudi media, the Saudi Tourism Authority made Messi its ambassador in May 2022. In Saudi Arabia, he has visited Jeddah and the Red Sea.
Messi wrote in a post that 'Who knew Saudi Arabia was so green? I love such unexpected wonders.