After receiving criticism for missing training on Monday to travel to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi has apologized to his teammates, explaining that he believed he had the day off and was unable to cancel the trip. Messi recorded a video on social media in which he apologized to his PSG colleagues, stating that he had organized the trip to Saudi Arabia, which he had previously cancelled, and apologizing once again for his actions.
“Hello. Well, I wanted to make this video after everything that’s going on. First of all, I apologise again to my teammates at the club. I honestly thought that we were going to have the day off after the game as we had done before. I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia, which I had previously cancelled and I couldn’t go. Once again, I apologise for what I did. So here I am, waiting to see what the club wants to do, nothing more. A hug.”
According to reports by ESPN and L’Equipe, Messi has been suspended for two weeks without pay by PSG as a consequence of his actions, and will not be able to train or play during this period. PSG’s manager Christophe Galtier had granted Messi permission to travel to Saudi Arabia if the team won or drew their match against Lorient on Sunday, and were given Monday and Tuesday off, but after PSG’s 3-1 loss to Lorient, Messi flew to Saudi Arabia without seeking further approval, which prevented him from attending training on Monday.
