The six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future remains up in the air with his Barcelona contract set to expire at the end of the season.
La Liga president Javier Tebas is unfazed by the possibility of Lionel Messi’s FC Barcelona exit, saying the league is financially prepared to deal with the loss of its biggest star.
La Liga, just as all other major European leagues, has suffered a major economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fact that Barcelona alone carry €1.2 billion in debt provides a good picture of the adversity.
The Spanish league now risks losing its major pulling force – Messi, who previously made a failed exit attempt, and his future still hangs in the balance.
The Argentine has been linked with Manchester City, where he can join forces with Pep Guardiola, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, where he can reunite with Neymar.
“[Messi] couldn’t leave Barcelona because of an agreement in his contract, but as I said about Cristiano [Ronaldo], we also are prepared financially for this moment,” Tebas told Egyptian media ONsport.
“Cristiano leaving Real Madrid was a decision made by the club. I don’t have the right to say anything, but I always prefer to have the best players in La Liga, the same happened with Neymar before.
“Cristiano was the ultimate goalscorer in La Liga and we were affected by his departure, but financial the impact was minimal because we prepared well for this moment.”
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