La Liga Is More Competitive After Messi and Ronaldo’s Exit Claims Jan Oblak

• Jan Oblak insists La Liga is still one of the toughest leagues in Europe
• Oblak has faced off against top stars like Messi and Ronaldo in La Liga
• The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has spent nine years in Spain’s topflight

Jan Oblak has seen top players come and go in La Liga but the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper maintains the that standard of the league has stayed the same since the departures of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi and Ronaldo dominated football in Spain and Europe for years, winning 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them while they created one of the biggest rivalries while playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.

According to Football Espana, Oblak explains that La Liga is much more competitive following the exits of the two superstars who he felt took the shine away from other teams in Spain.

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“La Liga right now is much more equal than before. All the teams are very good, and every game is very difficult. La Liga is very competitive.

“Before, with Cristiano and Messi, the world was talking more about the two of them, but now La Liga is no easier than before with them. La Liga is still very competitive and with great players.”

Oblak, who has spent nine seasons with Atletico Madrid, led the club to the La Liga and the Europa League titles and played a key role in the 2015-16 Champions League, where they lost in the final to Real Madrid.

Messi and Ronaldo's stats vs Oblak

Jan Oblak has not had the best times facing off against either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo when the two football greats plied their trade in the Spanish La Liga, Sportskeeda reports.

Both players had a lot of success against the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper as Messi, during his active days playing for Barcelona, won 10 of his 18 duels against Oblak and scored 10 goals.

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Ronaldo, meanwhile, has 11 goals against the Slovenian goalie in 19 games, including three hat-tricks while playing for Real Madrid and Juventus.

Ronaldo and Messi's legacy questioned

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Nicolas Anelka, known for his diverse career across multiple clubs, has expressed a bold viewpoint regarding the impact of Ronaldo and Messi's supremacy on the current generation of footballers.

He believes that the duo's overwhelming influence during that period has somewhat limited the aspirations of emerging players.

According to the Frenchman, Ronaldo and Messi's dominance has shifted the focus of young talents, deterring them from aspiring to become traditional centre forwards.