Messi the latest pawn in proxy rivalry in Middle East
By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
Lionel Messi was supposed to be training alongside his Paris Saint-Germain teammates at the start of the week with his club embroiled in a tight French league title race. The soccer great instead was undertaking commercial work in Saudi Arabia as part of his contract with the kingdom to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country. It will prove to be an expensive trip. He has been suspended by PSG reportedly for two weeks and the incident could yet spark the end of his turbulent and somewhat underwhelming two-season spell at the club. It also exposes the tensions at play now that gulf rivals Qatar and Saudi Arabia have become major influencers in the world of soccer.
