PSG consider sanctioning Lionel Messi following his unapproved trip to Saudi Arabia - Reports

According to L'Equipe, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) might sanction Lionel Messi for his trip to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine recently flew to the Middle Eastern country to perform his duties as the country's brand ambassador.

However, his trip was ill-timed as the Parisians suffered a shock 3-1 Ligue 1 home defeat against Lorient a day earlier. Hence, Messi has faced criticism for his actions.

The L'Equipe report suggests that Nasser Al-Khelaifi has taken matters into his own hands and might sanction Lionel Messi. It is unknown whether he will be fined or whether the punishment will be made public knowledge.

Messi's future at PSG is already in doubt. The Argentine is currently in the final months of his contract and is yet to sign an extension to his deal. Whether the recent incident has any effect on his future remains to be seen.

Gaston Edul slammed newspaper for their reporting on PSG superstar Lionel Messi

Since his move to PSG, Lionel Messi has often faced criticism for his performances. Considering he has scored 31 goals and has provided 34 assists in almost two seasons, Messi has certainly produced the goods.

However, journalist Gaston Edul believes French publication L'Equipe has been unprofessional in their reporting regarding the Argentine superstar. He recently said (via Semper Twitter):

“L’Equipe is a newspaper I respect, but since Messi's arrival in France, they have been deliberately offending him, they have talked bad about Leo, tried to discredit him harshly, while making up stories..”

He added:

“Their news reportings on Leo is always a non-journalistic and cheap act. They take out their anger stemming from political differences and other interests on his name.”

Messi has been in good form this season. He has scored 20 goals and provided 19 assists in 37 games across competitions so far this term for Christophe Galtier's team.