Lionel Messi didn't deserve to leave like that, admits Javier Tebas
Tebas comments on Messi departure
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Lionel Messi did not deserve to leave Barcelona and La Liga in the way that he did and his departure could have been avoided, La Liga president Javier Tebas reckoned. The Argentine could not sign a new deal with the Catalan club due to their financial woes and joined PSG over the summer.
Barcelona and Lionel Messi had agreed on a deal that would see the Argentine stay at Camp Nou for the foreseeable future. On July 1, Messi became a free agent after his contract expired and negotiations on a new deal became complicated due to the Spanish club's financial woes and their inability to comply with La Liga's financial regulations. The Argentina captain left his boyhood club on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain to start a new chapter in his footballing career.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner made 778 appearances for Barcelona while scoring 672 goals and providing 301 assists across all competitions. The Argentina international helped the Spanish outfit win ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, three FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and four Champions Leagues.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has now admitted that the former Barcelona player's departure comes as a blow for the top league in Spain.
"Just like when Cristiano Ronaldo, Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho left. We knew that one day this would happen. We have had the great luck of having the two best footballers in the world in the two best teams in the world and from La Liga we have been able to take advantage of this to put ourselves on the world front line,” told Tebas to Sport.
"Perhaps Messi's departure has been a bit more painful, because personally I consider him the best in history, and he didn't deserve to leave like that, not only for Barça but for La Liga as well," he added.
