LaLiga president Javier Tebas has claimed that fewer people than before are interested in following Lionel Messi's career due to the fact that he is playing for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.
The Spanish chief has long been a critic of the Parisians, having previously questioned the club's spending in relation to financial fair play. Earlier this year, he also denounced PSG for the mammoth contract renewal of Kylian Mbappe, claiming that the French giants were destroying "the ecosystem of European football", according to Marca.
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Tebas has now launched another scathing attack on the reigning champions of France, this time insisting that Messi is better off at FC Barcelona and playing in LaLiga instead, according to The Mirror.
When asked to comment on former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi's departure from Spanish football, he said: "Well, I think Messi has to come back before Cristiano ... But they left and we're still at the highest level, right?
"I think that Messi is not only missed in La Liga, he is missed in football, because the French league is what it is, right? I think that no matter how much he is at PSG, he is followed by far fewer people than when he was at Barcelona. 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 play against Nantes, I don't see it. With Barça it's the opposite. I don't know if Messi will have one last show at Barça, that will depend on him, I hope he comes back, above all it would also be good for him to return to Spanish football, above all to the team that has always been the team that saw him developed.
"That it was a mistake even for him, in my opinion, to break that relationship, because it was a very beneficial long-term alliance for Messi and for Barça itself.
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