After the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner received a two-week suspension from PSG for his trip to Saudi Arabia, GOAL looks back at other similar situations…
Paris Saint-Germain shocked the football world on Tuesday when they announced that World Cup winner Lionel Messi would be suspended without pay for two weeks. It was then revealed that the player had ignored his manager and club and missed training to make a trip to Saudi Arabia, with whom he has a lucrative sponsorship deal.
PSG, determined to set an example for a player who looks set to leave more and more this summer, somewhat jeopardized their Ligue 1 title hopes and banned one of their biggest names for a crucial two-week period.
But Messi is not the only high-profile player to be sidelined by his own club or national team. Indeed, there is a rich history of stars who have had to miss time for disciplinary reasons.
GOAL takes a look back at some of the biggest stars suspended by their own teams…
Source: Goal