Messi Apologies to PSG for unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia
After being barred from the trip to Saudi Arabia, Messi apologises to PSG, saying, "I'm sorry for what I did."
Messi apologised to his 458 million Instagram followers in a video sent on the social media platform. "I obviously want to apologise to my teammates and to the club," he added.
On Friday, Lionel Messi issued an apology for travelling to Saudi Arabia without permission, which resulted in his club, Paris Saint-Germain, suspending Argentina's World Cup-winning captain.
Messi apologised to his 458 million Instagram followers in a video sent on the social media platform. "I obviously want to apologise to my teammates and to the club," he added.
After missing training on Monday, the day after their 3-1 home loss to Lorient in Ligue 1, the Qatar-owned team suspended him.
Instead, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner left without PSG's consent to meet obligations under a deal with Saudi Arabia's tourism board.
"I honestly thought we were going to have the day off after the match, as had happened in the previous weeks," he admitted.
"I had planned this trip to Saudi Arabia after earlier postponing it. This time, I was unable to change it. I regret my actions and will wait to see what the club decides.
Messi's likelihood of staying at PSG through this season, when his two-year contract with the team expires, has grown less likely as a result of the scandal.
Messi will not participate in PSG's Ligue 1 encounter against Troyes this weekend, according to a source with knowledge of the disciplinary process who spoke to AFP. Messi will be suspended for "several days," the source said.
He would be suspended for two weeks, according to a number of French media publications, although AFP was unable to independently verify the reports.
After their encounter against Troyes, PSG, who leads Ligue 1 by five points, will have just four more games left to play.
"When Leo returns, we will see. We'll have to wait and see. Leo will also be discussed because this mostly affects him, said PSG coach Christophe Galtier on Friday in response to a question about whether Messi will return to the team.
Galtier added that Messi, 35, was not the original decision-maker when it came to the suspension.
I was told of the decision, and I defer to it," he insisted. "It wasn't my decision to make.
This week, PSG supporters protested in front of the club's headquarters and even congregated outside Neymar's home in the Paris suburb of Bougival to express their displeasure with the way the club has been managed recently under Qatari ownership.
As a result, the team has increased security at their practise facility and at Messi and Neymar's residences.
Since his high-profile transfer from Barcelona, Messi has only been with the team for a little under two years.
In 71 games for the French champions, who won Ligue 1 last year, he has scored 31 goals.
This season, Messi has scored 20 goals in all competitions, and he leads Ligue 1 with 15 assists.
His performance, along with that of the majority of the PSG team, has dropped since helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar.
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