La Liga Chief Launches Scathing Attack on Ligue 1, Claims Lionel Messi Has ‘Much Less’ Exposure at PSG

La Liga Chief Launches Scathing Attack on Ligue 1, Claims Lionel Messi Has ‘Much Less’ Exposure at PSG

Isaac Darko
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:15 PM
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France
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Spain
  • La Liga boss Javier Tebas has claimed that football misses Lionel Messi since he left Spain to sign for PSG
  • According to Tebas, Lionel Messi's current team do not have the same audience as compared to Barcelona
  • Messi has one year left on his contract with the Parisians and could leave the club as a free agent in June 2023

La Liga president Javier Tebas has aimed a dig at Ligue 1, claiming football misses Lionel Messi since he joined Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentina captain signed for the Paris-based club on a free transfer, following his departure from Camp Nou in the summer of 2021.

The 35-year-old struggled for form in his first season at Parc des Princes, but is enjoying an impressive 2022/23 campaign and is in great form heading into the World Cup.

Javier Tebas, Lionel Messi, La Liga, Ligue 1, Barcelona, PSG
La Liga president Javier Tebas has claimed that football misses Lionel Mess because he does not have the same audience at Paris Saint-Germain as compared to Barcelona. Credit: @goal
Source: Twitter

Meanwhile, Barcelona have suffered back-to-back elimination from the Champions League and have been relegated to the Europa League in Messi's absence.

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According to LaLiga boss Tebas, Messi does not have the same audience he enjoyed in Spain because he plays in a less competitive league.

"I think Messi is not only missed in La Liga, he is missed by football because the French league is what it is, right?" Tebas told Argentinian newspaper Ole, quoted by 90min.

Tebas added that no matter how many superstars were at PSG, Messi had far less of the spotlight compared to when he was with the Blaugrana.

"Let's hope he has a great World Cup, because there we will all be able to see him again. I don't see all the fans watching PSG against Nantes, I don't see it. With Barca, it's the opposite."

Messi has one year left on his Paris Saint-Germain contract and could leave the Parisians as a free agent, having signed a two-year contract upon his departure from Catalonia in 2021.

The little magician is currently on the radar of MLS club Inter Miami, who are set to rival Barcelona and PSG for the signature of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Tebas prefers Messi to Ronaldo

Sports Brief earlier reported that La Liga boss Javier Tebas has chosen who he prefers to return to Spain, between Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo and Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi.

Messi is enjoying a rich vein of form for PSG this season and the Argentine genius has scored 12 goals in the 2022/23 season.

Speaking in a chat with Diario Ole, Tebas revealed that he would wish to see Messi return to Spain's top division before his long-term rival Ronaldo.

Authors
Isaac Darko photo
Isaac Darko
Isaac Darko is a La Liga, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga editor at Sports Brief with a Degree in Journalism and Communications from Ghana Institute of Journalism (2010)
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