"I wish he'd have finished his career in La Liga" - Javier Tebas explains why Barcelona were forced to offload Lionel Messi
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently spoke about how he wished Lionel Messi was able to finish his career in La Liga.
Tebas spoke about the same at a sports summit in Buenos Aires. Speaking about Messi, Tebas said (quotes as per Mundo Deportivo):
"Messi did not finish his career in LaLiga because Leo and FC Barcelona did not agree. I wish he could have stayed and finished his career in La Liga. It would have been the best for him, for me and for Barcelona,"
Tebas further went on to speak about Lionel Messi's decision to join MLS club Inter Miami. The Argentine joined the American club as a free agent upon the expiration of his deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
Tebas added that it was perhaps a family decision from the player. Tebas also said that he wished Messi never actually joined PSG and stayed at Barca. He said:
"Leo has his family and his way of thinking; in addition, I think he has been looking for new experiences for some years. I wish he had come to Spanish football and never gone to PSG. The end of this film has been sad between Messi and football Spanish."
Javier Tebas spoke about how Lionel Messi's arrival helped the MLS excel
Since joining Inter Miami as a free agent, Lionel Messi has helped the MLS to excel by leaps and bounds in terms of popularity. Megastars are now turning up on a regular basis to watch the Argentine in action.
Messi's on-field performances have been noteworthy as well as the Argentina captain has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 11 matches across competitions for Inter Miami. Speaking on Messi's impact, Tebas said (quotes as per the aforementioned source):
"The MLS has been seeking to position itself as a great brand for a long time, but it has not achieved it. Messi will occasionally help to increase awareness, but they have the example in Miami."
Messi is currently on international duty with Argentina as he prepares to play the upcoming World Cup qualfiers against Ecuador and Bolivia. Fans will keep a keen eye on how the 36-year-old fares.