Lionel Messi has publicly apologised to Paris St Germain following his unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
The Argentinian was reportedly fined and suspended by the Ligue 1 leaders after undertaking a promotional visit to the Middle East country without permission.
The 35-year-old, who is an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority, was pictured in Riyadh on Monday, the day after his side suffered a surprise loss to Lorient.
Messi says he had to make the trip for contractual reasons having previously cancelled it, and had assumed he had a day off.
The issue has highlighted an apparent souring of the relationship between the World Cup-winner and PSG, with reports since emerging that he is set to leave the club in the summer.
Messi said in a video posted on Instagram: “I wanted to make this video due to everything that is happening.
“First of all, I want to say sorry to my team-mates and to the club. I honestly thought that we were going to be free after the game, as had been the case in previous weeks.
“I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia, which had been cancelled previously and this time I couldn’t. I apologise again and I’m here for whatever the club decide. All the best.”
Messi, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined PSG in a blaze of publicity after Barcelona ran into severe monetary difficulties two years ago.
He has been linked with a return to the Nou Camp but it is widely thought the LaLiga leaders’ financial position makes that unrealistic. Saudi Arabia and the United States are rumoured to be other potential destinations.
PSG's latest Ligue 1 title arrives as Monaco lose to Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned as Ligue 1 champions after Lyon overcame Monaco 3-2 on Sunday.
A 4-1 midweek win over Lorient ensured that one more victory would be enough for Luis Enrique's team to get over the line, but PSG failed to get the job done themselves when they faced relegation-threatened Le Havre on Saturday.
That game was the 700th match of the QSI era at PSG, and the club's 1,900th in France's top flight.
However, PSG's wait to win their third straight title did not last long, as less than 24 hours later, Lyon – who will face the Parisians in the final of the Coupe de France at the end of May – came out on top in a topsy turvy encounter with second-placed Monaco.
Substitute Malick Fofana was the matchwinner for Lyon, and ultimately the player who handed the title to PSG.
Wissam Ben Yedder had put Monaco ahead in the opening minute, but quickfire goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma turned the match on its head before half-time.
Ben Yedder netted his second to restore parity on the hour mark, and thought he had sealed his hat-trick when he volleyed in from a free-kick, only to have strayed offside.
With only a win good enough for Monaco to stay in the fight, the visitors were then caught out in the 84th minute, with Fofana racing onto Lacazette's throughball and finishing calmly.
After a dismal start to the season, relegation looked a real possibility for Lyon, but they are now, with three games remaining, still in with a shout of qualifying for Europe.
PSG on the other hand now have 12 Ligue 1 titles to their name, with 10 of those coming under QSI's ownership. Aside from the COVID-impacted 2019-20 season, five of their last six league titles have been secured before the start of May.
It also means Luis Enrique remains in the running for a treble in his first season at the club, with PSG taking on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals next week.
Luis Enrique insists PSG will 'celebrate' Ligue 1 title, despite wait for confirmation
Luis Enrique insists Paris Saint-Germain are "going to celebrate" winning the Ligue 1 title, despite their third successive domestic crown not quite being mathematically secure.
PSG missed the chance to seal the deal when they were held to a 3-3 draw by relegation-threatened Le Havre, who led 3-1 at one stage at Parc des Princes.
Despite seeing that opportunity go begging, Luis Enrique's side are 12 points clear of second-place Monaco, who have a game in hand, with three matches remaining.
But the Spaniard knows the job is "effectively" done, with his team needing just one more point and boasting a 29-goal advantage over Monaco.
"Today, we have effectively won the league, given the goal difference, so we are certainly champions - even if we don't get any more points," he told reporters at his post-match press conference. "We have a 29-goal advantage, and we are going to celebrate the title.
"It was a strange game in a footballing sense, because our opponents did so little in attack, yet they scored three goals. I don't think I have ever seen anything like that in my career as a coach.
"They are well drilled and defended well, I must admit, so I congratulate them on that. We deserved to win it from the beginning, but that is football.
"Our fans are incredible. We were losing 1-0, 3-1, and they kept supporting us. It is impossible for the players to stop fighting. We managed to draw later on and effectively win the league thanks to the supporters, and their positive attitude."
With the Trophee des Champions already in the bag, PSG are on course to win four trophies this season with Borussia Dortmund awaiting in the Champions League semi-finals, and a Coupe de France final against Lyon to look forward to.
Luis Enrique insists his players' main focus is on delivering that elusive Champions League crown, having narrowly missed out on the title four years ago following a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the final.
"We have won two of the four trophies already, and we are going to try and reach the Champions League final now," he added. "That is the goal, and that is what we are going to put all our commitment and effort into.
"I think the team is in the best form of the season, without any doubt."
Paris Saint-Germain 3-3 Le Havre: Ramos rescues point but title confirmation must wait
Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 3-3 draw at home to relegation-battling Le Havre on Saturday and will need to wait before confirming their 12th Ligue 1 title.
PSG would have clinched the title with three games to spare with a victory. They have a 12-point gap over second-placed Monaco, who are at Lyon on Sunday, and a goal difference of 47 to Monaco's 18.
The away side opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Christopher Operi and PSG levelled 10 minutes later with Bradley Barcola scoring, but Le Havre went ahead again seven minutes before the break when Andre Ayew found the net.
Le Havre made it 3-1 with an Abdoulaye Toure penalty in the 61st minute, before Achrif Hakimi gave PSG hope with a goal 12 minutes from time and Goncalo Ramos levelled in added time. Le Havre are 15th on 29 points.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
