"Respect the league and it's fans" - Don Garber tells Messi and Neymar that MLS is not a 'retirement home'
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has warned Lionel Messi and Neymar not to treat the league as a retirement home. He added that the players coming in should be thinking about what they can bring to their teams and not about relaxing.
MLS has always been labeled a 'retirement league' by fans outside the United States. The tag came along after several top players started heading to the US once they were done playing in the top flight in Europe. This includes the likes of Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney, among others.
Suárez 
Neymar #TalDíaComoHoy Messi ✖️2⃣
El primer gol... 🪄
❗️Suárez ▶️ Neymar ▶️ Messi ❗️
#UCL https://t.co/n0LPmU1iYU
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Garber was quick to dismiss the tag on MLS and claimed that they were far from it. He said:
"Anybody could sign [Lionel] Messi today and pay him what they want to pay him as a designated player, should Lionel decide that he wants to play Major League Soccer – and that's the same for Neymar or any other player. We want our story to be about young players who are coming here at the earliest stages in their career or in the prime of their careers."
He added:
"You know, you've got players that are coming at 30 - personally I don't think 30 is old when you're a Major League Soccer player. But if they're not here to come and play and be a great contributor to their club and to our league and to respect the league and its fans, then we don't want them in Major League Soccer."
Garber also gave instances of players who have done well in the league in the past. He concluded:
"I think there has been no shortage of players towards the end of their career that have been great MLS players. And [Thierry] Henry is perhaps one of the great examples of that, David Beckham is one of the great examples of that. I can't imagine what Major League Soccer would be without players like that."
Why did Don Gaber name Lionel Messi and Neymar?
Messi and Neymar have admitted they want to move to the United States once they are done playing in Europe.
¿Neymar llegando a la MLS es buena idea o mala idea? 🤔
@herculezg: “La razón que quiere ir a la MLS es porque puede ejercer lo que es su futbol, ganar buen dinero y estar en vacaciones.” 👀
AHORA O NUNCA vía YouTube: 👉👉 youtu.be/rNiOtMzdwRE
@mauriciopedroza https://t.co/3ETSEXQjFU
Neymar went one step further this week and claimed he wanted to play in the MLS because of the three-month break between the leagues. Speaking on the Fenomenos podcast, the 30-year-old Brazilian said:
"I don't know if I'll play in Brazil again. I'd love to play in the US actually. I'd love to play there at least for a season."
The PSG forward added:
"First of all, their season is shorter, so I'd get three months' vacation."
Neymar's current contract at PSG runs till 2025. Messi, on the other hand, joined the Ligue 1 giants last summer on a two-year deal, with the option of extending for a third season.
Both Paris Saint-Germain players have been linked with David Beckham's Inter Miami when the time comes. But other sides have not given up their hopes of signing them.