Thierry Henry has claimed that Lionel Messi's trip to Saudi Arabia would have hurt Paris Saint Germain's pride.
Lionel Messi's unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia raised a lot of controversy after recent speculations that he will be leaving at the end of the season. PSG did not hesitate with their punishment as he was immediately suspended for two games.
16:39 - 05.05.2023
Saudi Arabia trip: Lionel Messi begs PSG for forgiveness
Lionel Messi has released a statement apologising for leaving the club without authorised permission.
The Arsenal legend who was not particularly pleased with the Argentine missing training, also claimed that the Qatari owners could be annoyed because of the country he chose to visit.
Thierry Henry insists Messi was wrong
The 45-year-old has condemned Messi’s action after missing a training session for a trip to Saudi Arabia which led to his suspension.
17:43 - 05.05.2023
SPORTS GIST I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me – Messi
PSG star Lionel Messi has apologised for his controversial trip to Saudi Arabia that landed him in trouble with the club authorities.
Speaking on Amazon Prime show Dimanche Soir Football, Henry said, "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 practice."
Henry also made reference to the well-known American television program Dallas from the 1980s, saying, "No one can miss training. It reminds me a bit of the episode of Dallas when J.R. [Ewing] tries to get [long-time nemesis] Cliff Barnes. But it's always the same problems at PSG. This time, it's Messi."
Messi issues apology
After the uproar, Messi apologised to the club and his teammates, stating he had mistakenly believed he had the day off and that he had no choice but to make the trip.
Messi’s official statement says, “I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always. I had this trip organised and I couldn't cancel it. I had already cancelled it before.
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“I apologise to my teammates and I'm waiting for what the club wants to do with me”.
A lot has been said about the issue and as it stands, Messi might have played his final game for PSG with his two weeks suspension set to end three games before the season ends.
The 36-year-old was left out for the game against Troyes and will also miss the match against Ajaccio. He could be back in action against Auxerre but not sure he would be involved as his team chase down the Ligue 1 title.