Following Sunday’s Ligue 1 loss to Lorient, Lionel Messi took an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, leaving his Paris Saint-Germain teammates “shocked.”
As part of his duties as the country’s tourist ambassador, the Argentine superstar has a contractual obligation to travel to the Gulf State.
Messi apparently went to Saudi Arabia without asking permission from the club as PSG usually have two days off following a Sunday match. However, because of the team’s loss, they had to go to training on Monday.
Many of his teammates were perplexed as to why the 35-year-old was not present when they arrived at training as a result.
This coincides with the star’s expected departure from PSG when his contract expires at the conclusion of the current campaign. His contract renewal is reportedly no longer a top priority for PSG.
Messi’s journey to Saudi Arabia didn’t get the club’s approval, according to L’Équipe.
📸 | Leo Messi with his family in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦🐐🤩 pic.twitter.com/QOrx8iRUis
— PSG Chief (@psg_chief) May 1, 2023
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He did not make the request to either boss Christophe Galtier or director Luis Campos.
It is an incident which may portray the club as dysfunctional and in less than a favourable light, with the standards applied to Messi not equalling those which his teammates observe.
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