Lionel Messi's future at Paris Saint-Germain has been thrown into doubt after the French club suspended him for two weeks without pay for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine forward, who is a tourism ambassador for the Gulf state, made the journey after PSG's 3-1 home defeat to FC Lorient on Sunday, during which he played the full 90 minutes. While the squad trained on Monday, Messi was in Saudi Arabia fulfilling a contractual obligation.
Following the unauthorised trip, PSG has taken swift action by suspending Messi for two weeks, which means he will miss the upcoming games against ESTAC Troyes and AC Ajaccio. The club's decision has fueled speculations that the Argentine superstar's time with the Ligue 1 champions may be coming to an end, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
As per L'Équipe's initial reports, Messi's contract will not be extended, which means he will leave the club at the end of the campaign. Even though the player could still feature in PSG's final three games against AJ Auxerre, Strasbourg, and Clermont Foot, Le Parisien has reported that the chances of him playing again for Les Parisians are slim.
According to the French media, Messi's primary focus is now on finding his next club, and playing in those fixtures "doesn't enchant" him. The situation has sparked a wave of speculation and rumors about his next destination. Several reports suggest that he could be considering a return to his boyhood club, Newell's Old Boys, in Argentina. However, a move to MLS or a return to Barcelona, where he spent 21 years, is also on the cards.
Messi's potential exit from PSG would be a significant blow to the club, who were banking on him to lead their charge in the Champions League. However, the suspension and the ongoing uncertainty around the World Cup winner's future has raised questions about the club's stability and its ability to retain its star players.
In a related development, Paris Saint-Germain ultras tropped to Neymar Junior's house to demand for the Brazilian to leave the club. The incident happened hours after fans were filmed chanting for the board to resign outside the club's headquarters following the decision taken against Lionel Messi. The Brazilian took to social media to confirm that indeed the fans had been to his residence. Meanwhile, his subsequent activity on a post insinuating that PSG is a has stoked fire and raised a lot of eyebrows.
| Neymar likes an Instagram reel, a reel post describing a lack of "greatness" surrounding PSG and specifically their fans - as well as there being a mentality problem. [@GFFN] pic.twitter.com/pXzd1OZVzJ
— PSG Report (@PSG_Report) May 3, 2023
Relatively, PSG have since come out to condemn the actions of their fans. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the club said: "Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday.
"Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions. "The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour."
