Lionel Messi was seen training with Paris Saint-Germain on Monday after his two-week suspension seems to have been lifted early by the French club.
Messi skipped training last week to attend a Saudi tourist board meeting, and was later sanctioned by the PSG front office; he reportedly also shocked his teammates by leaving just 24 hours after a defeat to Lorient, per The Daily Mirror.
The supposed reinstating comes after the Argentine superstar apologized to his employers and teammates on Friday night.
“I thought we had a day off after the game. I had organized this trip and I could not cancel it. I had cancelled it before,” Messi said in a video shared to his social media channels. “I apologize to my teammates and I am waiting for what the club wants to do with me.”
Messi was originally told he would be unavailable for two weeks, and he missed the club's win at Troyes on Sunday night. But the fact he was back training on Monday morning assumes that his suspension has most likely been lifted.
RMC via GFFN reported that the public apology satisfied PSG and earned him a lesser suspension.
The 35-year-old is very likely playing his last few games with the French club, as it seems certain he will be leaving the French capital at the end of the season. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been outspoken about his desire for a reunion with the World Cup champion.
“He [Messi] has the doors of Barça open,” Laporta told the Joe Pomp show last month. “He knows that. He's part of our emblem. Messi is a player of PSG and I have to be careful what I say. I have to respect his club and respect him. Messi knows that we have Messi in our heart, Messi is part of our blood.”
Lionel Messi's camp has made it clear that no decision will be made until the end of the season, but in the short term, it looks like the soccer superstar will be back on the pitch for PSG's next match.