Lionel Messi’s (35) two-week suspension is the talk of the proverbial Ligue 1 town. PSG have inflicted a suspension, without pay, on their 7-time Ballon d’Or and 2022 World Cup winner following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia while Messi’s teammates were training. The Argentine will therefore miss Les Parisiens’ upcoming two games, against Troyes on Sunday and Ajaccio next week. It is now expected that Messi’s contract, set to expire at the end of the season, will not be extended, confirming his departure from PSG.
Rennes manager Bruno Génésio gave his two cents about the latest off-field drama over at PSG during his pre-game press conference, attended by Ouest-France. “I don’t know the precise background in this, but the club must be above everything, above the players, the coach, the sporting director, all the people who work there, because that’s how we win“, assessed the former Lyon boss.
Génésio also discussed the fact that players can be given rest days should they need it, which is not the case of Messi, whose unauthorised trip was part of his contractual obligations as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia. “We can give a struggling player three, four or even five days off if he needs to, if he has personal problems and if we consider it necessary and beneficial to his development.“
The Stade Rennais boss conceded that coaches have it harder today, with players who are increasingly requested by partners or sponsors. “Players are almost like corporations now. But so far, it’s going well at Rennes.” Les Rouge et Noir will travel to Nice on Saturday afternoon for Ligue 1 gameweek 34.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
