For France and Ligue 1 getting Lionel Messi is another dimension, proclaims Cesc Fabregas

08/12/2021

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Former Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas is overjoyed at the fact that his former teammate, and friend, Lionel Messi has signed for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Argentine arrived on a free transfer from Barcelona and has signed a two year contract with the French giants.

With Lionel Messi’s time at Barcelona over, it saw Paris Saint-Germain pounce quicker than anyone else in order to sign the Argentine with the move completed within five days. The 34-year-old has already been announced as a PSG player and has signed a two year, with the option for an extra year, deal with the club and the ripple effects has been massive. It has seen the Ligue 1 and French football in general get a massive boost from the move with many still shocked.

However, Cesc Fabregas reiterated the shock and admitted that Messi arriving in France and in the Ligue 1 “is another dimension”. The former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder has played with the Argentine in the past, during his spell at the Camp Nou, and also revealed that the 34-year-old doesn’t realise the impact he has on football and the world at times.

“For France and Ligue 1 this is another dimension. Sometimes I tell Leo he doesn’t know how big he is. He goes to places and thinks the reaction is normal because he has been raised being the best and has been always surrounded by fans. But when you see it from the outside it is something I’ve not seen around anyone else,” Fàbregas said, reported the Guardian.

“Sometimes there are more followers of Leo as a person than for a single club. A lot of people now will be following Ligue 1, especially with Leo there. The three of them, with Neymar and Mbappé there, will be fantastic to watch.”

There have been questions, however, about the caliber of the league that Messi has joined with many referring to it as a “farmers league” in the past. It has seen fans and critics alike concerned as to the strength of competition and everything else but Fabregas believes that the French top tier is just as tough as any of the other big five leagues. The AS Monaco midfielder also added that things are changing in France and Messi signing just showcases that.

“When PSG don’t win the league everyone sees it as a disaster because they spend a lot of money. Everyone takes it that this is a one-team league but in the last five years they’ve won three because Lille and Monaco have also won the title and put the brakes on their winning streak.

“It is a competitive league. It is not as easy as people think. It’s very aggressive, very intensive, very fast with strong players who defend very well. I’m sure as a coach Pochettino prefers to have a fantastic squad with a lot of pressure on himself knowing he needs to win than the other way around. They must have pressure when they create a super team like that. It’s obvious they want to win the Champions League,” he added.