L’Équipe report this evening that Paris Saint-Germain have decided against offering Lionel Messi a contract extension past the end of this season, with the forward’s unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia this week ostensibly the nail in the coffin.
The Argentine had taken the trip to the Gulf state as part of his commitments as the country’s tourism ambassador, and as a result skipped PSG training – Monday was initially set to be a day off for the players, but this was cancelled after the defeat to Lorient on Sunday. As a result, the 35-year-old has been suspended for two weeks – meaning he will not play nor train with his teammates, and will be docked his pay for that period as well.
The contract that Messi signed when he first arrived in 2021 included a clause for an optional third season, which all of the deciders at the club have now agreed not to trigger. The league leaders’ management were already leaning towards not offering a renewal, but the former Barcelona man’s inside circle had been insisting that the Ligue 1 champions were intent on re-signing him. Now, there is reportedly no ambiguity anymore. After his two-week suspension, Messi will have three more games to play in a PSG shirt, before leaving at the end of next month.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
