PSG to discipline Messi over Saudi trip: club source

Paris Saint-Germain have opened a disciplinary procedure against star player Lionel Messi, who risks being suspended after travelling to Saudi Arabia without the permission of the French club.

Various media in France have claimed the Argentine World Cup winning captain will be hit with a two weeks suspension while the source questioned by AFP said the period of suspension would be a few days.

World Cup winner Messi, who will turn 36 in June, played in PSG's 3-1 home defeat to Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

He then travelled to Saudi Arabia on business, but as his club had lost the coach cancelled the usual rest day, meaning Messi fell foul of an unexpected requirement to be on duty in Paris.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner left Barcelona in 2021 to join PSG, but he has struggled to reproduce his best form in Paris, scoring 31 goals in 69 appearances.

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Some fans see him as a symbol of all the club have done wrong in focusing on superstar signings while failing to build a genuinely competitive team.

The Argentine's name was jeered by some PSG fans as the teams were announced prior to the 1-0 home defeat against Lyon in Ligue 1.