Messi apologises for ‘unauthorised’ trip to Saudi Arabia

Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has apologised for his “unauthorised” trip to Saudi Arabia that has led to his suspension by the French club. The Argentine was suspended from the club on May 2, and he would not be included in the training sessions as well.

Messi admitted it in an apology video on Instagram, where he said: “First of all, I want to apologise to my teammates and the club. Honestly, I thought we were going to have a day off after the game like we did in previous weeks. “I had this trip organised, which I had cancelled already. I could not cancel it again. I repeat, I want to say sorry for what I did. I am waiting to hear what the club wants to do with me,” Messi said.

PSG manager Christophe Galtier says he had “nothing to do with” Messi’s suspension while also condemning fan protests outside players’ homes. “Leo’s suspension has contributed to poor performances; we can’t hide behind that,” Galtier, 56, said on Friday.

PSG is on top of Ligue 1 by five points with five games to play but is out of the Champions League and lost in the last 16 of the French Cup. There were fan protests following their defeat to Lorient in Ligue 1.

After Messi’s suspension news was in the air, another significant follow-up was made on his relations with PSG. Following his suspension, it was revealed on Wednesday that Messi will leave PSG at the end of the season, with the French champions not planning to offer the forward a new contract.