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Suspended Lionel Messi and PSG's loveless marriage of convenience is over: Romantic return to Barcelona beckons after worst rebound ever

It's been clear from the start that the pair's relationship was built upon nothing other than a shared interest in making money

Lionel Messi has been suspended for a fortnight by Paris Saint-Germain. He will sit out two of their final five Ligue 1 fixtures. At least. Because who knows if Messi will play for PSG again? He certainly won't feature next season, that's for sure.

Any prospect of Messi extending his contract at the Parc des Princes is now over. His exit had, of course, become almost inevitable anyway.

As GOAL outlined after PSG's almost-annual Champions League last-16 elimination,the club wanted to keep the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner for commercial reasons. However, Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns meant that one of their ridiculously well-paid superstars was going to have to be offloaded this summer - and the smart money was always on Messi, given Kylian Mbappe remains the face of the PSG project, while nobody wants Neymar.

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Still, the manner of the World Cup winner's departure is farcical - and yet very fitting.