Lionel Messi arrived two years ago wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with ”Ici C’est Paris” (This Is Paris) — a favorite cry among Paris Saint-Germain fans — and to chants of “Messi! Messi! Messi!”

The soccer superstar will leave the team on Saturday not quite so revered.

The cheers have been replaced by jeers and boos in recent weeks at the Parc des Princes, where the World Cup winner will play his final game for the French league champion.

Christophe Galtier confirmed on Thursday that the looming end of the season is also the end of Messi’s time at PSG.

Messi will bow out in their league finale against Clermont on Saturday. His contract expires at the end of June.

“I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of soccer,” Galtier said. “This will be his last match at the Parc des Princes, and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes.”

PSG recruited Messi in August 2021 with the ambition to finally win the Champions League. The team is still waiting.

Although PSG won its record-extending 11th French league title last weekend, it again exited Europe’s top tournament in the round of 16.

Messi’s adventure in France has been bittersweet. In spite of pretty good statistics, he has been embodying the team’s shortcomings in the view of many PSG fans who have repeatedly whistled his name sarcastically in recent weeks.

After struggling to adapt to the French league — the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored only six league goals in his first 26 games — Messi improved this season as he developed an efficient understanding with forward Kylian Mbappe.

In 31 league matches, the 35-year-old Messi has 16 goals and delivered as many assists. In all competitions, Messi netted 21 times and had 20 assists for PSG.

“This year, he has been an important part of the team, always available, always committed during training sessions,” Galtier said. “I don’t think any of the comments or criticisms are justified.”

Despite Galtier’s support, PSG’s appreciation of Messi has not always been so positive.

Last month, the club suspended him following an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. Messi has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism and has been linked with a lucrative move there at the end of the season.

There has also been talk of a return to Barcelona, where he spent the majority of his career, or to the United States to play in MLS.

Messi arrived at Barcelona at age 13 and left having won 35 titles. He helped the club win the four Champions Leagues, 10 Spanish leagues, and seven Copa del Reys.

Source: AP

With no Frenchmen seeded in singles at Roland Garros this year, the home country is unlikely to see its first male champion since Yannick Noah’s lone win back in 1983. But as one generation of nearly-men bows out, there are signs a new one is readying to take up the challenge.

No Frenchman has won a Grand Slam title since Yannick Noah’s French Open triumph in 1983.

It’s been 40 years since a Frenchman last won a singles Grand Slam title – and marking the anniversary of Noah’s famous win has become a nostalgic ritual for a nation starved of success.

The former tennis-champ-turned-pop-star was back on the French Open stage at the weekend for a celebration of his 1983 title, this time holding a mic instead of a racket. He strode barefoot on the famous red clay of Court Philippe Chatrier and performed a dozen songs – joined on stage by his opponent from 40 years ago, Matts Wilander.

Asked why no other Frenchman had emulated his success since then, he joked: “Because I’m not coaching anymore.”

Noah, who captained France to victory in both the Davis Cup and Fed Cup, later had a stark piece of advice for French youngsters hoping for a breakthrough: to pack their bags and travel abroad.

“You have to go and nourish yourself elsewhere, because we’re used to losing at all levels,” he told reporters. “All coaches have lost. None of them have won. So you’re surrounded by people who have all lost.”

‘As if Real Madrid had won nothing’

Look abroad is precisely what the French Tennis Federation (FFT) has done, tapping Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic, the former player and coach who was credited with improving Roger Federer’s game in his twilight years, guiding the Swiss to three more Grand Slam titles.

A former world number three, Ljubicic was put in charge of a programme dubbed Ambition 2024, aimed at improving French tennis and nurturing a new generation of champions. As he took on the job in December, the towering Croat expressed bafflement at the dearth of tennis success in France.

“Non-French people are always puzzled by tennis in your country,” he told French reporters. “It’s as if Real Madrid had won nothing for a long time.”

Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, made blunter comments at a tournament in Marseille earlier this year, saying it was “sad” not to see better players in a country “with a Grand Slam tournament and ample resources to invest in the future of tennis”.

 Self-flagellation has been a recurrent theme at the French Open, particularly on anniversary years. In 2018, as organisers marked 30 years since the last time a Frenchman – Henri Leconte – reached the final, the 1988 runner-up blasted the players’ lack of dedication and mental toughness.

“They don’t train on clay as much as we used to,” said the flamboyant Leconte. “They are afraid to play at the French Open. They are always coming with an excuse, saying, ‘Oh, I have a bad back or elbow’.”

The harsh assessment was shared by some fans at Roland Garros, who flagged the home players’ inability to cope with expectations.

“The French have great courts and great players, but at this level in tennis it’s the mental strength that makes the difference,” said Marcus from Denmark, sheltering from the sun that has blessed the tournament’s opening days. He drew a parallel with the former world number one Andy Murray, who finally ended Britain’s decades-long wait for a male Grand Slam title “despite facing even greater pressure at Wimbledon”.

Murray, who lost eight of his 11 Grand Slam finals, all of them against either Djokovic or Federer, would certainly have seen more success had he not landed in the era of the “Big Three”. It’s a point Marion Bartoli, the last French player to win a major in 2013, also raised in the run-up to the French Open, stressing that the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gaël Monfils were equally unfortunate to have faced such formidable opponents throughout their careers.

Culled from France 24

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti’s said on Tuesday that FIFA’s racism protocol in football was “obsolete” after Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior was abused by Valencia fans.

The 22-year-old forward suffered vile racist taunts at Mestalla on Sunday in La Liga, with three fans arrested by Spanish police on Tuesday.

Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea activated the racism protocol after Vinicius squared off with fans, singling out one whom he saw abuse him.

FIFA’s three-step process involves the match being paused until a stadium announcement is made asking for racist abuse to stop, which happened at Mestalla.

The second step, after any further abuse, is to temporarily take players off the pitch and the third step, if it continues, is to abandon the game and give three points to the opposition.

“The protocol is obsolete,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“The protocol had to be applied when the team bus reached the stadium, because the insults started there.

“Two hours before the game, and it was not an isolated case — someone from Valencia said it was — sure, it was not 46,000 people but it was not one or two.”

Video emerged Monday of Valencia fans chanting “Vinicius, you are a monkey,” when Real Madrid arrived at Mestalla.

“The protocol has to start there,” continued Ancelotti.

“If you start the protocol in the 70th minute, you have made a mistake.

“It has to start two hours before the game, and then during the game. It’s obsolete, yes.”

Vinicius was sent off later in the game for hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro and will not be able to face Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

Ancelotti said the player did not train on Tuesday because he felt some knee discomfort.

The striker said Spain was viewed as a “racist country” in a statement he made on Instagram late on Sunday, which Ancelotti disagreed with, but he called for drastic action to combat racism.

“Spain is not racist, I have to say that too, but there is racism in Spain, like in other places and that has to end,” Ancelotti said.

“It’s a moment to take drastic measures. Institutions have chances, above all now, to take radical measures on this important subject.”

Source: AFP

A brace by Kylian Mbappe propelled Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-1 win at Auxerre on Sunday that effectively secured a second straight Ligue 1 title and a ninth in the last 11 seasons.

Mbappe’s goals, his 27th and 28th of the season in Ligue 1, both came in the first eight minutes at the Stade Abbe-Deschamps and set PSG up for victory.

Auxerre pulled one back early in the second half through Lassine Sinayoko but Paris held on for a victory which leaves them six points clear of second-placed Lens with two games remaining.

They require just a draw away to Strasbourg next weekend to officially be crowned champions for a French record 11th time.

However, a goal difference advantage of 16 over Lens means they are almost certain to win the title even if they end the season level on points with their rivals.

Mbappe opened the scoring in style, collecting a Fabian Ruiz pass and turning home defender Gauthier Hein inside out before shooting high into the net.

It was 2-0 two minutes later, as Hugo Ekitike left a Lionel Messi pass for Mbappe to rifle in a shot from the edge of the area.

Rayan Raveloson hit the bar late in the first half for the hosts, who reduced the deficit six minutes after the break when Nuno da Costa headed on a long clearance downfield for Sinayoko to run through and score.

Christophe Galtier’s PSG team had hoped to celebrate winning the league on Sunday, but a 3-1 victory for Lens in Lorient earlier ensured they would have to wait at least another week regardless of their result in Auxerre.

The result left Auxerre still one point and one place above the relegation zone with two matches of the season to play.

Source: AFP

Chelsea are on the verge of hiring Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager after agreeing terms with the former Paris Saint Germain boss, according to reports on Sunday.

Pochettino is reportedly set to join Chelsea at the end of this season as he returns to the Premier League four years after his sacking by Tottenham.

The Argentine will replace interim manager Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly bids to get his troubled club back on track after a dismal season.

Pochettino will be Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager in five years after Boehly sacked Thomas Tuchel in September and then axed Graham Potter in April.

Pochettino, who has also managed in the Premier League with Southampton, left Paris Saint Germain in July 2022 and was replaced by Christophe Galtier.

Pochettino guided Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019 when they finished as runners-up to Liverpool.

He also led the north Londoners a second place finish in the Premier League in 2017 and the League Cup final in 2015, missing out on the silverware to Chelsea on both occasions.

Despite failing to end a Tottenham trophy drought that stretches back to 2008, Pochettino was widely admired by his players.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane recently bemoaned the change in the club’s culture since the Argentine’s exit.

Following his Tottenham stint, the 51-year-old took over at French side Paris Saint Germain in January 2021.

They finished second in Ligue 1 in 2022, winning the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions, which were the first trophies of Pochettino’s managerial career.

Pochettino led PSG to the French title in his second season but departed after failing to make an impact in the Champions League, with a last 16 capitulation against Real Madrid especially damaging to his reign.

Considered for the Manchester United job before Erik ten Hag’s appointment last year, Pochettino will arrive in west London to find a club in crisis.

Chelsea, who last won the title in 2017, are currently 11th in the Premier League.

They have won just one of their past 11 games and look set to miss out on European competition next season.

With three games left, the Blues are in danger of finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time since 1996.

Boehly’s spending spree on over £550 million ($685 million) of new signings since buying the club from Roman Abramovich last year has failed to have the desired effect.

Chelsea crashed out of both domestic cups and lost limply against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Boehly reportedly telling the players their season was “embarrassing” during a dressing room speech immediately after a home defeat against Brighton.

Lampard lost the first six matches of his second spell as Chelsea boss before a victory against Bournemouth and then a draw with lowly Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Source: AFP

Anthony Martial put Manchester United’s bid for a top four finish back on track as the French forward ended his goal drought in Saturday’s crucial 2-0 victory against Wolves.

Martial had gone eight games without scoring before he netted in the first half at Old Trafford.

United’s first win in three matches was wrapped up by Alejandro Garnacho’s stoppage-time goal.

After successive defeats at Brighton and West Ham threatened to ruin their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, Erik ten Hag’s side restored order at Old Trafford.

Fourth-placed United, who sit behind Newcastle on goal difference, moved four points clear of Liverpool, who are fifth and play at struggling Leicester on Monday.

After that fixture, United will still have three matches left while Liverpool will have only two to play, leaving Ten Hag’s men in control of their top four destiny.

Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was back at Old Trafford for the first time since being sacked in November 2021.

Solskjaer was all smiles as he took photos with fans before kick-off, but even the Norwegian’s most ardent fan had to acknowledge the impressive progress made under Ten Hag this season underlined the failings of his own troubled reign.

Ten Hag made three changes as Marcus Rashford was sidelined by a leg injury, while Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia dropped to the bench, with Martial, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane coming in.

United had scored only six times in their previous nine games, offering Liverpool renewed hope after six successive wins for Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Wolves went close to snatching a shock lead when Craig Dawson fired just wide after Pedro Neto pulled the ball back to the defender inside the United area.

But Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick forced a save from Wolves’ rookie keeper Daniel Bentley as United’s pressure gradually mounted.

The chances kept coming for United as Christian Eriksen whistled his strike just wide from long-range before Antony headed wastefully over from six yards.

Martial finally delivered in the 32nd minute as the French striker scored only his second league goal in 2023.

Fernandes’ pass triggered Antony’s incisive raid and when Bentley rashly came off his line the Brazilian unselfishly cut back to Martial, who finished with ease.

Martial could have doubled United’s lead before half-time but he shot straight at Bentley from Antony’s pass.

Wolves missed a good chance when Max Kilman headed a corner down to Hwang Hee-chan and the substitute screwed his shot wide from an acute angle.

Fernandes was unable to beat Bentley from close-range and the Wolves keeper made another good save to keep out Sancho’s effort.

Weghorst, still waiting for his first Premier League goal for United, headed over from six yards.

With seconds left, Garnacho sprinted onto Fernandes’ pass and finished with aplomb.

Source: AFP

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Tuesday.

“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and without naming the club.

“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalising some small details,” added the source, who is not authorised to speak to media.

Asked about the comments, Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted he remains under contract until June 30.

A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”

The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.

Messi’s expected arrival in the oil-rich kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a massive deal in January.

Ronaldo’s agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439million), making him the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes.

Both deals are being bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds with more than $620 billion in assets, the source said.

“The negotiations didn’t take as much time as the ones with Ronaldo. As we now know the recipe to contract world-class players,” said the source.

“It’s Saudi Arabia that brought him not a specific club. The Money comes from one place — PIF.”

Ronaldo’s arrival has not had the impact Al Nassr would have hoped for on the pitch.

They have lost top spot in the Saudi Pro League table and are out of the running in the King’s Cup and Super Cup.

French coach Rudi Garcia departed in April.

PSG protesters

Messi, who turns 36 in June, has had two lacklustre seasons in Paris after a glorious era at Barcelona where he won four Champions League and 10 La Liga titles, and is still worshipped by the fans.

The record seven-time world player of the year, joining a mouth-watering attack featuring Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, scored just 11 goals in his first season as he helped PSG to a routine Ligue 1 title.

But PSG have got no closer to a coveted maiden Champions League victory, bowing out twice in the last 16 even with the illustrious Argentine in the line-up.

Frustrations boiled over last week when black-clad PSG protesters let off flares and sang hostile chants targeting the underperforming Messi, Neymar and Italian midfielder Marco Verratti.

The angry scenes contrasted with Messi’s career-crowning moment in December, when he led Argentina to a breathless World Cup final victory over Mbappe and France in Doha to fill the biggest gap in his resume.

Qatar’s emir draped him in a traditional bisht robe at the trophy ceremony, a reminder of the fossil-fuel riches pouring into football and Messi’s bank account via PSG.

However, Messi is also a highly paid tourism ambassador for Qatar’s neighbours and sometime rivals Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter that is attempting to diversify its largely single-stream economy.

Source: AFP

Rodrygo Goes fired Real Madrid to Copa del Rey glory with a clinical double in a 2-1 victory over Osasuna in Seville on Saturday, with Brazilian compatriot Vinicius Junior playing a part in both goals.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid earned their 20th Spanish Cup at La Cartuja in their 40th final, ending a nine-year wait to lift the trophy again.

Osasuna, who have never won a major trophy, fought well but ultimately fell short against the reigning Spanish and European champions, who face Manchester City on Tuesday in the Champions League semi-finals.

Madrid have now won all six of the trophies available to them during Ancelotti’s second reign at the club, after the Italian returned in 2021.

Rodrygo fired Madrid ahead inside two minutes after Vinicius’ run down the left, and Ancelotti’s team had the better chances in the first half.

However, Lucas Torro levelled for Osasuna in the 58th minute to give them hope of an upset in their first cup final since 2005, and second ever.

Rodrygo whisked it away, firing home after a rebound fell his way following another Vinicius charge, ensuring Madrid would take the trophy back to the capital.

“They made the difference, Vini unbalanced them and Rodrygo scored the two goals,” said Ancelotti of his Brazilian wingers.

Madrid beat both Atletico Madrid and then rivals Barcelona to reach the final and Ancelotti said it was time to celebrate, but not too heavily ahead of the clash with City.

“This Copa arrived at an important moment, we came through very tricky ties, it’s a deserved prize against strong opponents,” added the coach.

“This night we will celebrate, a little bit, not too much, and then we will get back to work for Tuesday.”

Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate deployed midfielder Jon Moncayola at right-back to try and stop Madrid winger Vinicius.

It didn’t work. Vinicius broke in down the left in the second minute and his dangerous cut-back was missed by Fede Valverde but slammed home by Rodrygo.

The Brazilian, in sparkling form, scored the earliest Copa del Rey final goal since 2006 – a year after Osasuna finished runners-up to Real Betis.

Karim Benzema should have doubled Madrid’s lead but Sergio Herrera saved brilliantly to deny the forward after another lightning Vinicius break.

Osasuna earned a foothold in the game and came inches from equalising when on loan Barcelona winger Ez Abde broke through on goal but Dani Carvajal cleared his effort off the line.

Vinicius in wars

Madrid continued to push for their second goal – David Alaba struck the crossbar with a free kick and Vinicius went down in the box under pressure from Osasuna defender David Garcia.

His appeals were waved away and Vinicius clashed with Garcia, who attended the 2005 final as a childhood supporter, who ruffled his hair to annoy him further.

Vinicius was booked just before half-time for complaining, and exchanged heated words with Osasuna substitute Chimy Avila as the players walked in at half-time.

Torro drilled Osasuna level from the edge of the box when Abde’s deflected cross fell into his path.

The club’s passionate supporters celebrated wildly, including letting off a flare which needed to be extinguished, and one fan was taken away on a stretcher, although he appeared to be smiling.

Osasuna’s joy did not last long though, with Vinicius making another dangerous burst in down the left – Madrid president Florentino Perez later calling him the best in the world in his position.

Vinicius fed Toni Kroos, whose shot was blocked, but Rodrygo was in the right place at the right time to finish with aplomb and put Madrid’s name on the trophy.

“I’m really happy, we were talking about this in the week, that it was a long time since Madrid had won this competition,” Rodrygo told Spanish television broadcaster La 1.

Osasuna departed with the taste of defeat but their heads held high.

“It’s very difficult to defend against (Vinicius) and on Tuesday I am sure City will suffer too,” said coach Arrasate.

“It’s not news that Vinicius stood out, Rodrygo scored two as well, we’re talking about two of the best players in the world.

“(Madrid) are champions because they deserve this cup, but we’re proud of the team, and let’s try to do it again.”

Source: AFP

The southern Italian city of Naples exploded into what was shaping up to be a long night of celebrations on Thursday as local team Napoli secured their first Serie A soccer title in more than three decades, sweeping away years of disappointment.

Argentine hero Diego Maradona inspired Napoli to its second and last triumph in 1990, but since then, the coveted Scudetto has been won almost exclusively by teams from wealthy northern Italy, such as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan.

Napoli claimed a third crown following a 1-1 draw at mid-table Udinese, giving them an unassailable 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio with only five matches left in the season.

“Yes! We are the champions” supporter Roberto Santoniello told Reuters TV, proudly wearing his club’s shirt while others were screaming, waving flags, lighting flares and firecrackers in the central Trieste and Trento Square.

Udinese are based in Italy’s north-east, more than 800 kilometres away from Naples, so many Napoli fans stayed home and watched the game at their local Maradona stadium, which was specially equipped with eight giant screens.

“Today must be the right day,” one of them, Raffaele Manfredonia, said. Kevin, another fan who declined to give his surname, said of the expected Scudetto party: “It will be chaos, mayhem. We won’t sleep, we won’t work.”

But then he added, with a chuckle: “I am joking”.

The U.S. consulate issued a security alert last week, saying “spontaneous celebrations could last multiple days” and warned of “heavy traffic or road closures, significant use fireworks, and alcohol consumption throughout the city”.

Police had banned fireworks but that did not stop the Neapolitan sky being lit up as soon as the game against Udinese was over. Authorities also banned car and scooter traffic from the city centre in the hope of minimising risk to public order.

“I’ve been waiting for the Napoli Scudetto since I was small,” said a teenage girl out with two friends, her cheeks painted Napoli blue. “It’s a victory for the entire city, it’s wonderful,” she added, declining to give her name.

In Udine, there were post-match scuffles as Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players, but were met by hostile home supporters armed with belts and batons, the ANSA news agency said.

Anti-riot police intervened to break up the fights, and six fans were reported to have sustained non-serious injuries, RAI public television said.

Having enjoyed a stellar season, Neapolitans have been gearing up for weeks for the title celebration, casting aside their usual superstition about claiming victory before it happens.

Streamers, banners, flags, scarves and life-sized cardboard replicas of Napoli’s present-day footballers, including Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, have festooned the city centre.

The late Maradona is also still revered, celebrated on fans’ t-shirts, banners or tattoos, and on a giant mural in Naples’ Miracles Square that has become a major attraction in the countdown to the Scudetto.

Source: Reuters

Hundreds of fans gathered at PSG on Wednesday to protest over the club’s current form and the Messi saga, as the Argentinian superstar’s future at PSG was plunged into doubt following his suspension, after he travelled to Saudi Arabia without the club’s permission.

When Lionel Messi arrived from his beloved Barcelona in 2021, PSG fans hoped he would transform the club into a Champions League powerhouse. But Messi has struggled to reproduce his best form at Qatar-backed Paris – even though he has scored 31 goals in 71 appearances in all competitions.

“We’re fed up with mercenaries! We must sack Messi! We must sack Nasser Al-Khelaifi (the club’s Qatari president),” supporters chanted.

“We are sincerely worried about the future and the sustainability of our club,” the team’s ‘ultras’ supporters said in a statement, adding “is there still a pilot on the plane?”

Meanwhile, several videos posted on Twitter appeared to show a group of supporters, dressed in black gathered in front of the home of Neymar, shouting abuse at their injured Brazilian superstar.

Declining form

This came after Messi was jeered by a section of the PSG support, who see him as a symbol of all the club have done wrong in focusing on superstar signings while failing to build a genuinely competitive team.

Messi’s form since leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar has declined along with that of most of the PSG team.

Their insipid performance against Lorient was a sixth defeat in 17 Ligue 1 matches in 2023.

They remain five points clear of Marseille at the top of the table with five games left, and are therefore still on course for a record 11th French title.

However, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Bayern Munich and also went out of the French Cup at the same stage to Marseille.

A source with knowledge of the disciplinary procedure told AFP that Argentina’s 35-year-old World-Cup winning captain, who is out of contract at the end of the season, would be sidelined for “several days”, while various media in France reported that he would be suspended for two weeks

“He cannot train, cannot play, and will not be paid while disciplinary measures are in place,” the source added.

Another source, also speaking on condition they were not identified, indicated that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would “probably” be sidelined for a fortnight, noting that “nobody is more important than the club”.

Messi played the whole game in PSG’s 3-1 home defeat by Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

He then travelled to Saudi Arabia to fulfil commercial commitments in his role as a tourism ambassador for the Gulf state.

The Saudi Tourism Authority said in a press release on Wednesday that Messi had “returned to Saudi for a second time, this time with his family” and had been treated to a demonstration of palm weaving and had fed Arabian gazelles.

As a result of the trip, Messi missed a training session scheduled for Monday following the weekend defeat.

The PSG squad were given a day off on Tuesday and Messi did not take part in training on Wednesday either.

‘Fed up with mercenaries’

PSG are due to return to league action away at struggling Troyes on Sunday, a game that Messi may now miss.

If he were to be sidelined for two weeks he would also sit out a home match against Ajaccio on May 13.

The disciplinary measures make the prospect of Messi staying in the French capital after his two-year deal expires at the end of this season even more remote.

Having at one point looked set to extend his stay for another year, a source close to the club told AFP last month that he was now “much more likely” to depart.

Source: AFP