Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, has claimed that it was a "sad ending" for Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona, following the Argentine's exit in 2021. Despite some speculation about a potential return to Barcelona during the summer transfer window, Messi ultimately joined Inter Miami, an MLS team owned by David Beckham. Tebas said that he wished Messi could have stayed and finished his career in La Liga, as it would have been the best for him, for Barcelona, and for Spanish football.
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Lionel Messi spent 21 years in Barcelona, starting in the Barcelona youth system and playing for the first team for 16 years. In that time, Messi won everything there was to win, a sextuple in the 2008/9 season and a treble in the 2014/15 season. He ended his time at Barcelona in 2021 after the club had to let go of many players because of financial troubles. The seven-time Ballon D’or winner certainly elevated Spanish football along with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tebas spoke about Messi's exit at a summit in Buenos Aires. Tebas said, "Messi did not finish his career in La Liga because Leo and FC Barcelona did not agree. I wish he could have stayed and finished his career in La Liga. It would have been the best for him, for me and for Barcelona."
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Tebas further went on to speak about Lionel Messi's decision to join MLS club Inter Miami. The Argentine joined the American club as a free agent upon the expiration of his deal with Paris Saint-Germain."Leo has his family and his way of thinking; in addition, I think he has been looking for new experiences for some years. I wish he had come to Spanish football and never gone to PSG. The end of this film has been sad between Messi and football in Spain,” Tebas said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
