'It Is Not Logical' - PSG Not Happy With Lionel Messi Invoking 'Clause' Included In Contract

Lionel Messi’s decision to reportedly invoke a contract clause in his Paris Saint-Germain deal is “not logical” amid recovering from a knee injury.

That is according to PSG sporting director Leonardo, who has insisted that the club do not agree with Messi’s choice to link up with the Argentina squad for the international break.

Messi arrived in the French capital in the summer on a free transfer after La Liga’s financial regulations scuppered Barcelona’s new contract offer for him.

However, the 34-year-old Argentine superstar reportedly included a clause in his PSG contract that allows him to prioritise matches for his native homeland.

According to reports, Messi wants to play in Argentina matches ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar without causing problems between club and country.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner missed both PSG’s 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig in the Champions League and 3-2 win over Bordeaux in Ligue 1 due to his knee injury.

PA

Read More:

• Lionel Messi wants to return to Barcelona as soon as possible after retirement

And Leonardo is not thrilled at the idea of Messi and Leandro Paredes heading off for international duty during the November international break.

“We do not agree to let a player go by selection who, for us, is not in physical condition or who is in the rehabilitation phase,” he told Le Parisien.

“It is not logical, and these types of situations deserve a real agreement with FIFA.”

Messi ended his long wait for major silverware with Argentina in the summer after La Albiceleste defeated Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final.

The Barcelona legend is believed to have made a 13-hour trip to his native homeland on Sunday evening.

PA

Messi’s Argentina teammate Paredes has been out of action for PSG since October due to a thigh injury, but he will link up with the former Barcelona captain for international duty.

Argentina’s medical team is expected to assess both Messi and Paredes ahead of La Albiceleste’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.

Read More:

• Lionel Messi ‘not so extraordinary’ anymore at PSG, says former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka

Speaking ahead of PSG’s 3-2 win over Bordeaux on Saturday, Mauricio Pochettino said he was hopeful Messi could play for Argentina and then “return to us fit.”

The PSG manager said on Friday: “Tomorrow he won't be available to play for the team. We will see if he can travel to play for his country.

“We hope he can go and play for his country and then return to us fit.”

Topics: Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, France, Football, Argentina

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

@AdnanRiaz9