Messi leaving won’t affect television revenue: La Liga president

From saying that his departure gained’t have an effect on tv offers to Ansu Fati as the subsequent large factor, president Javier Tebas gave sufficient indications of La Liga wanting past the planet’s finest footballer — Lionel Messi.

Asked whether or not Messi’s attainable departure subsequent season may result in a dip in tv income, Tebas mentioned: “No, because the international rights have been sold for the next four seasons. Also, there is no guarantee that he will leave.”

A Barcelona-based multi-media firm, MediaPro, has a multi-year contract for La Liga’s abroad rights until 2023-24. The deal is price 4.48 billion euros. With Spain amending a regulation earlier this yr that permits longer tv offers, La Liga may go for one when the tender for a home broadcast deal is floated this yr when Messi, who joined coaching on Monday, will probably be at Barcelona.

This was after Tebas had mentioned: “I was not that worried (about Messi leaving this season). We always want Lionel Messi to be with us…to end his days here. (But) La Liga is above individual players and clubs. But we are so pleased he is staying.”

Goal.com has quoted Tebas as telling Italian day by day ‘Corriere Della Sera’ that La Liga backed Barcelona on the contract concern with Messi to defend justice. Tebas mentioned the league would have accomplished it “whether your name is Messi or Pepito Perez.”

On Monday, Tebas was talking at an occasion to launch La Liga’s 90th season, one the place league ambassadors Andres Iniesta, Iker Casillas, Fernando Morientes, Luis Garcia, Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Sanz, Diego Forlan and Gaizka Mendieta additionally took half.

Messi, who has agreed to see out the ultimate yr of his contract as a result of he didn’t need to take Barcelona to court docket, is probably not the league’s most marketable asset for lengthy however he was a reference level within the 50-minute dialogue. “I love it that he is still at Barca but they will need more players,” mentioned former Barcelona star Eto’o.

When it got here to speaking about Eden Hazard and his underwhelming first season at Real Madrid, Eto’o mentioned: “I was with him Chelsea and I can say that at his best, he is at the level of Messi.” When the dialog veered to new gamers at Barcelona, Garcia mentioned: “The best new player at Barcelona is Messi not leaving.” After speaking about Atletico Madrid and calling Diego Simeone a “great trainer”, Forlan mentioned he would like to see Barcelona doing nicely “after all those controversies.”

Morientes spoke concerning the significance of Joao Felix having a “stable season” at Atletico Madrid and 19-year-old Japanese Takefusa Kubo and Mendieta mentioned he hoped Frenkie de Jong would have a greater season nevertheless it was Barcelona academy product Ansu Fati who dominated the dialogue on younger gamers to be careful for in 2020-21.

Tebas mentioned Fati could possibly be the league’s subsequent marquee. “I believe he’ll. And it has nothing to do with what he did yesterday. He was referring to Fati being Spain’s youngest goalscroer at 17 years and 311 days, breaking a report that had stood since 1925.

La Liga begins on Friday with Granada internet hosting Athletic Bilbao behind closed doorways. There will no spectators allowed until the inhabitants is innoculated, mentioned Tebas, including that he didn’t hope for it to occur earlier than January or February 2021.