Paris Saint-Germain have suspended Lionel Messi for taking an unauthorised family holiday in Saudi Arabia and the Argentine has been told he will not have his contract renewed, according to French sports daily L'Equipe.
Messi, 35, has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the country but L'Equipe reported that his request to take a family holiday in the kingdom was denied by his club.
Messi and his family arrived in Riyadh on Monday. Messi, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their sons spent their holiday visiting a Saudi farm, watching a palm-weaving demonstration and enjoying cultural activities.
The Argentine superstar's contract has an optional third-season clause from when he first arrived in 2021, though it has long been speculated he will not extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
A two-week suspension means Messi will miss PSG's next two games, against Troyes and Ajaccio, but may return for the match against Auxerre on May 21.
PSG are top of the Ligue 1 standings with 75 points from 33 matches, five ahead of rivals Marseille. Messi started in PSG’s 3-1 home defeat by Lorient on Sunday.
L'Equipe had reported that PSG coach Christophe Galtier pledged to give his players two days off – Monday and Tuesday – if they beat Lorient. Instead, the team trained on Monday and had Tuesday off.
The forward joined PSG from Barcelona two years ago with hopes he could lead the team to an elusive Champions League title. Instead, the Qatari-backed club were eliminated in the round of 16 in consecutive seasons.
There has been speculation about where he would play next, especially after reports that contract talks with PSG had broken down. Some PSG fans have even booed Messi amid the team's inconsistent campaign.
Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title in December. He has scored 15 league goals and leads the French league with 15 assists this season.
He has been linked with a move back to former club Barcelona as well as a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, with respected football journalist Fabrizio Romano last month reporting that Al Hilal were preparing a mega offer of €400 million ($441 million) a year.
Messi has yet to comment publicly about the suspension.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
WISH
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The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
