Several PSG stars shocked by Lionel Messi's unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia: Reports
Lionel Messi's unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia has reportedly left several Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars surprised. The Argentine was in the Middle East for a commercial visit despite not having permission to travel.
As per a report in RMC Sport, PSG dressing room was caught by surprise when they heard about Messi's recent trip to Saudi Arabia. Players who turned up for training on Monday got the information during the session and were left puzzled.
Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos were also unaware of the Argentine's plans to visit the Middle East over the weekend. The PSG star has been spending time with his family and was in Barcelona last month when the players had a few days off.
The FIFA World Cup winner was also spotted in Paris' Disneyland during a weekend trip. He tried his best to hide under a hoodie but was quickly identified by fans at the theme park.
PSG told to get rid of Lionel Messi by Jerome Rothen
Former PSG star Jerome Rothen has been highly critical of Lionel Messi and doubled down on the Argentine last month. When reports emerged that the footballer was ready for a return to Barcelona, the pundit took even more shots.
Speaking on RMC Sport, Rothen claimed that Messi had joined PSG just for the money and did not care about the club. He believes that the only reason the Argentine left Barcelona was because he wanted better wages and said:
"I have no words. It's completely out of place. That's how much he doesn't give a damn about the world since he arrived. He didn't come for the right reasons, he only came for the financial conditions. In Barcelona, we know very well why he left. They could no longer pay him the way they paid him. There was such a huge deficit that they had to part with it."
Barcelona have confirmed talks with Lionel Messi and his entourage over a potential return to Camp Nou. However, things still look complicated as the Catalan side have not cleared their financial mess.
La Liga want the Blaugrana to raise €200 million by reducing wages or selling players before they sign new ones.