As one of Lionel Messi’s biggest advocates, Jorge Valdano explained how much he feared the idea of watching Leo play in a different European league.
Watching Lionel Messi play for a different league in Europe is already an afterthought, but Jorge Valdano was afraid that it would happen. The whole transfer saga that lasted for nearly two weeks put the whole world on hold, it was everything anybody wanted to talk about.
The impact of social media was huge and Messi merely said that he wanted to leave. We wouldn’t want to imagine how things would’ve turned out of he was wearing the Manchester City kit right now. For most of the FC Barcelona and La Liga fans, this idea was arguably the scariest thought in recent memory.
But for those of us who wanted a new challenge for Leo, it was heartbreaking to know that he would remain in Barcelona. One of the pundits who follows Messi’s career on a daily basis is his compatriot, Jorge Valdano. The man spoke to ‘Onda Cero’ this weekend to express what he felt when he thought Messi could actually leave.
It wouldn’t been a tragedy for La Liga.
“I feared watching Messi in another league and I think it’s fantastic news that he’s staying. We are talking about the best player in the world not only for the marketing. It’s because we all enjoy watching him play in this league,” said Valdano on ‘El Transistor’.
“I have no idea what will happen throughout the season. I don’t know if there will be a breakup as Leo threatened with that transfer request. Or of things can get back to normal throughout the season. It will all depend on the new president and the results that always lead the way inside big clubs. It also depends on Leo’s will to play at 34 years old.
“I don’t know if the Premier League is good for him. It’s a super competitive lague and it would be a great place to retire for him. Paris is a bit more comfortable, easier to handle for the final years of a genius. Messi doesn’t hold back though. He does this by playing.
“We are talking about a highly competitive player who knows how to save himself for the big occasions and doesn’t like staying in the bench.”
Valdano’s thoughts about La Liga’s new season.
“There’s a sense of competitive absence without Barça, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid playing on the season opening fixtures. This is the impact that the big clubs have and things will slowly get back to normal.
“What does make me sad is not having fans in the stands and I also got a feeling of watching pre-season games after some very strange months. The clubs are not at the top of their game yet, you can tell by their lack of pace.”
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