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LaLiga president Javier Tebas has expressed his relief that Lionel Messi will remain at Barcelona this season after the forward finally returned to training.<\/p>\nLaLiga president Javier Tebas has expressed his relief that Lionel Messi will remain at Barcelona this season after the forward finally returned to training.<\/p>\n
Messi told Barcelona that he wanted to leave last month, but has since been reported as saying he will stay because he did not want to face \u201cthe club I love\u201d in court over his \u00a3624million release clause.<\/p>\n
Barcelona posted a picture of Messi on Twitter on Monday evening showing the Argentinian back in action at the club\u2019s Ciutat Esportiva training ground. He had previously declined to take a routine coronavirus test as the rest of the squad began their pre-season just over a week ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were worried yes, but not seriously worried,\u201d said Tebas, speaking at LaLiga\u2019s promotional launch for the 2020-21 campaign. \u201cObviously, we want Messi to be with us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always said, he\u2019s probably the best player in the history of football. He\u2019s been in our competition for 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the president of LaLiga I would really like him to end his days in our competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 20 years in the history of LaLiga we\u2019ve had Lionel Messi and obviously we were worried if he was going to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut anyway, we\u2019re so pleased he\u2019s going to stay with us and not go to another league.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barcelona released an image of Messi earlier on Monday modelling their new third kit ahead of his return to training for the first time under under new boss Ronald Koeman.<\/p>\n
Messi informed Barcelona last month of his intentions to utilize a clause in his contract which his representatives claimed allowed him to leave on a free transfer.<\/p>\n
Barca insisted the time had passed for the clause to be activated and that the player would need to pay the release clause in his contract if another club wanted to sign him this summer.<\/p>\n
Messi subsequently revealed in an interview published last Friday that he had reversed his decision, saying he could never go to court against the club to secure a move.<\/p>\n
The new LaLiga season is launched on Friday with Granada\u2019s home game against Athletic Bilbao, but Tebas said he did not expect fans to return to stadiums in Spain until early next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not up to us at LaLiga, so it\u2019s difficult to answer,\u201d Tebas added. \u201cBut based on recent news that we\u2019re seeing from the government, not until they start to offer vaccinations to the whole population in Spain.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo to see the stadiums as full as before I think it will be just after we get the vaccination, maybe January or February next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
LaLiga TV has announced expanded television coverage in the UK this season via free-to-air broadcaster FreeSports.<\/p>\n
FreeSports will broadcast a weekly preview show, Futbol Fridays, and regular Friday night free-to-air fixtures.<\/p>\n
The sports channel will also broadcast live coverage of LaLiga matches with a 3pm kick-off on a Saturday.<\/p>\n
LaLigaTV have confirmed the channel will remain free for Sky\u2019s UK customers via premiersports.com until October 1st.<\/p>\n