The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has welcomed Lionel Messi’s decision to stay with Barcelona and hopes the Argentine superstar will see out his career “in our competition”.
Messi, 33, told the Spanish giants that he intended to leave on a free transfer, before performing a dramatic U-turn in an explosive interview with Goal Spain on Friday.
“We wanted Messi to be with us obviously, and now he’s decided to stay in the La Liga and it indeed is a massive relief,” Tebas said in a video conference to announce the start of the La Liga season.
Tebas backed Barca's stance that a deadline for Messi to inform the club of his decision to leave for nothing expired on June 10. The player and his representatives argued that, due to the coronavirus-enforced three-month hiatus, the 2019/20 season only ended following the Champions League final on August 23, and that he had given the Catalans the requisite 10-day notice when he informed them by burofax on August 25 of his intentions.
“He’s the best player in the history of football. He spent 20 years with us here and as the president of the La Liga I would really like him end his days in our competition,” Tebas added.
Though happy to have Messi represent La Liga, Tebas argued that the brand was bigger than any individual or club.
“We have been working for many years for the La Liga to be a brand,” he said. “It has to be above individual players and clubs, because we want to provide both entertainment and passion to fans both locally and internationally.
“Anyway, we know for 20 years in the La Liga we had Messi and we were worried if we had to lose him. We are now very pleased that he’s going to be with us and not going to another one.”
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Messi in numbers
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768 - With his appearance against Real Sociedad on March 21, 2021, Lionel Messi became Barcelona's all-time appearance record-holder, overtaking Xavi. He scored twice in Barca's 6-1 win. AFP -
LIONEL MESSI'S BARCELONA RECORDS: 6 - Most Copa del Rey finals scored in: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019. Reuters -
34 - Most trophies won as a Barcelona player. Reuters -
513 - Most matches won with Barcelona. EPA -
48 - Most hat-tricks scored in all competitions for Barcelona. EPA -
15 - First player to score in 15 consecutive seasons of the UEFA Champions League. AFP -
7 - Most Pichichi Trophies (top scorer in La Liga): 2010, 2012–2013, 2017–2020. Reuters -
37 - Most opponents scored against in La Liga history. AFP -
Only player to be top goalscorer and top assist provider in the same season: (2018–20). EPA -
361 - Most La Liga victories. EPA -
16 - Most dribbles completed in a UEFA Champions League game. AFP -
27 - Most league matches scored in a season (38 games): 2012–13. EPA -
19 - Most teams scored against in a season: 2012–13. AFP -
75 - Most appearances in the Copa del Rey for Barcelona. AFP -
47 - Most goals scored from a free kick in official competitions for Barcelona. Reuters -
38 - Most stadiums scored at in La Liga. Reuters -
485 - Most La Liga appearances by a foreign player. AFP -
150 - First player to reach 150 La Liga assists. AFP -
4 - Most Man of the Match awards won in one FIFA World Cup: in 2014. AFP -
6 - Only player to score in six different club competitions in a calendar year twice: 2011 and 2015. Reuters -
First player ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league (2012-2013). EPA -
4 - Only player to provide at least one assist in four World Cup tournaments. AFP -
13 - Most appearances in the FIFPro World11: (2007–2019). EPA -
11 - Most appearances on a video game cover by a football player. AFP -
334 - Fastest player ever to reach 300 goals in Europe's top five leagues. AFP -
10 - Most Man of the Match awards won in Copa América matches. AP Photo -
115 - Most goals scored for a single club in the UEFA Champions League. AFP -
435 - Fastest player ever to reach 400 goals in Europe's top five leagues. AFP -
5 - Most goals scored in a European Cup/Champions League game, against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. AFP -
110 - Most dribbles completed at the World Cup finals. AFP -
123 - Fastest player to reach 100 UEFA Champions League goals. AFP -
68 - Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage. AFP -
5 - Only player to provide at least one assist in five Copa América tournaments. AFP -
3 - Most UEFA/UEFA.com Goal of the Season awards: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19. AFP -
6 - Most Best Player in La Liga awards: 2009–2013; 2015. AFP -
12 - Top assist provider in Copa America history. AP Photo -
21 - Most goals in CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. AFP -
6 - Most Ballons d'Or: 2009–2012; 2015; 2019. AFP -
Messi is the only player ever to score in his teens, his 20s, and his 30s at the World Cup. He first scored at the 2006 FIFA World Cup as a 19-year-old in Argentina's 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro, then five times in 2014, and once in 2018. AFP -
6 - Most FIFA World Player of the Year/Best FIFA Men's Player Awards: 2009–2012; 2015; 2019. AFP -
444 - Most goals in La Liga. AFP -
50 - goals in a La Liga and European league season. Reuters -
8 - Most Champions League hat-tricks. AFP -
183 - Most assists in La Liga. AFP -
7 - La Liga Best Forward titles ( 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16). AFP -
36 - Most hat-tricks in La Liga. AFP -
300 - Most recorded assists in football history. AFP -
91 - goals in a calendar year (2012) - 79 with Barca (59 in La Liga, 13 in the Champions League, 5 in the Copa del Rey and 2 in the Spanish Super Cup) plus 12 with the Argentina national side. -
6 - European Golden Shoes for top scorer in European football. AFP -
60 - Only player to score 60+ goals in all competitions in 2 consecutive seasons: (2011–12 and 2012–13). AFP -
10 - Only player to score more than 40 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. AFP -
79 - Top goalscorer in all club competitions in a calendar year (2012). AFP -
21 - Longest goalscoring run in a domestic league: 33 goals in 2012–13. Reuters -
7 - Only player to score in seven official competitions in one calendar year: 2015, in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Copa America, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Reuters -
70 - Argentina all-time top scorer. EPA -
27 - Top goalscorer in El Clásico. EPA
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The new Liga season gets underway on Friday with Athleitc Bilbao taking on Granada, with Tebas saying it was important that football in Spain returns in order to compete with other lucrative leagues across Europe.
"We want the La Liga to be competitive like the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A," he said, claiming La Liga is now watched by audiences in remotes countries including Greenland and Mongolia.
“We are completing 90 years and we have a lot of experience but we still need to continue to grow, and that’s what we are looking into, the future.
“La Liga is a part of an international entertainment. We want to draw millions of fans in Spain and worldwide every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Former Barcelona midfielder and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta, a La Liga ambassador who now plies his trade with Japanese side Vissel Kobe, said excitement was already building ahead of the new season.
“It is like every other season with teams starting from zero and building their expectations,” he said.
“It’s again going to be a fiercely competitive and exciting season as it keeps on happening year after year.
“We are very excited the season is starting after the global pandemic. There is a lot of competitiveness and that’s very good in the football world."
Iniesta, a former teammate of Messi's at Barcelona where he won nine Liga titles, six Copa del Reys and four Champions League trophies in a glittering Camp Nou career, predicted an exciting season ahead.
“La Liga is an emotional and interesting league. I have had the opportunity to be in it for many years and I think it’s the number one in the world," he added.
“I think the talent we have in the La Liga is incredible. Let’s hope it’s a season we are all going to enjoy a lot.”
