"No one can miss training" - Thierry Henry gives his take on the Lionel Messi situation at PSG
Thierry Henry has delivered his verdict on Lionel Messi's situation at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after the Argentinian made an authorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
It has been a week since Messi traveled to Saudi Arabia without the French giants' permission. However, the dust has not yet settled at the Parc des Princes, with the forward still the talk of the town.
The Argentinian icon upset the PSG hierarchy by flying out of France despite being required to report for training last Monday (May 1). The club retaliated by handing the forward a two-week suspension, disallowing him from training with the squad and withholding his salary.
Les Parisiens fans, meanwhile, hurled abusive chants against the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner at the club HQ last Wednesday (May 3). On Friday (May 5), Messi issued an apology for his behavior.
Henry has now said that Messi was indeed wrong to miss training without permission. However, the former Barcelona forward suggested that the destination of the megastar's trip might have also upset the Parisians' Qatari owners.
"They hit a shot, maybe because he (Lionel Messi) is not going to stay," Henry said on Amazon Prime (via GOAL). "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 a practice."
Henry added:
"No one can miss training. It reminds me a bit of the episodes of (1980s American television show) 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."
It is worth noting that Henry played alongside Messi during his time at Barcelona between 2007 and 2010. They played 89 games across competitions together, combining to score 17 times and helping the Blaugrana win 10 trophies.
PSG return to winning ways without Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi notably made his infamous trip to Saudi Arabia just hours after PSG's Ligue 1 loss to Lorient. Having since been suspended by the club, he missed their away game against Troyes on Sunday (May 7).
Despite being without the 35-year-old, Les Parisiens returned to winning ways, beating Troyes 3-1. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz claimed all three points for the visitors.
The French heavyweights, who have a six-point lead atop the table, face Ajaccio at the Parc des Princes in their next league clash. Messi is expected to miss that game as well before returning to training.