Thierry Henry has implied that Lionel Messi’s trip to Saudi Arabia may have caused a blow to the ego of Paris Saint-Germain’s owners, resulting in the club’s decision to fine the Argentine player and suspend him for two weeks.
The trip was taken without the permission of manager Christophe Galtier.
As per the report by Goal, Henry has further disclosed that since PSG’s owners belong to Qatar, a country at odds with Saudi Arabia, Messi’s visit to the Middle Eastern country may have resulted in the club feeling aggrieved.
“They hit a shot, maybe because he’s not going to stay. Or did the destination he went to affect their pride a little? But there were much more serious things that happened at PSG. Was Messi right? No, you don’t miss a practice.”
Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been at loggerheads since the beginning of the Arab Spring, which left a power vacuum both states sought to fill. Qatar supported the revolutionary wave and Saudi Arabia opposed it.
PSG responds to Messi’s apology
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was excluded from Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 clash against Troyes this weekend despite apologising for his unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia, Daily Mirror reports.
Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz all scored for the Parisians who ran out 3-1 winners against Troyes to tighten their grip on the Ligue 1 title this season.
PSG have now garnered 78 points from 34 matches played thus far and are six points clear of second place who have 72 points from same number of matches played this season.
Messi breaks silence after being suspended
Earlier, Sports Brief reported Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has issued an apology to his club teammates after he was suspended for missing training.
The Parisiens punished the 2022 World Cup winner after travelling to Saudi Arabia in a sponsored visit.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is not expected to feature in the games against Troyes and Ajaccio.