Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

La Liga President Javier Tebas 'Ready' for Messi's Departure


Tue 17 Nov 2020 | 10:00 PM
Mohamed Helba

La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Tuesday that he is "ready" for the departure of Lionel Messi, while criticising Manchester City, a club he believes could sign him.

Messi submitted a transfer request in August at Barcelona - who he joined as a 13-year-old - but backed down after they refused to sanction his release.

The forward had fallen out with Josep Maria Bartomeu, who subsequently resigned as Barca president in October.

"Tebas wants Messi to stay in Spain but feels La Liga would cope without him," BBC reported. 

He argued that the competition had continued to thrive following Neymar's 2017 departure from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain, and Cristiano Ronaldo's 2018 move from Real Madrid to Juventus.

"We would prefer Messi to stay in La Liga but Ronaldo and Neymar left and we have not noticed any difference," Tebas said. "We are ready."

The Argentina international, 33, would be available on a free transfer at the end of this season.