Former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Luis Milla admits La Liga will not be the same when Lionel Messi leaves.
There is speculation about the Argentine superstar wanting to leave Barcelona when his contract expires this summer.
He made a great effort to leave in the past transfer window, but was denied an exit by the club's present Josep Bartomeu.
Messi eventually spoke about his reasons for wanting to go, and admitted it was difficult on his entire family to leave the city where he had played for his entire club career.
Now that Bartomeu has resigned as the club's president and new presidential elections will be held in the spring, there is hope Messi may renew his contract.
Milla, who emerged as a class midfielder at Barcelona, before leaving for Real Madrid on a free transfer, believes Messi will leave La Liga one day - whether in the coming summer or when he retires.
And he believes the league will be very different when that day arrives.
Asked about Messi's transfer demand and eventual departure from La Liga, Milla said the following in an exclusive interview with Tribal Football: "I think it is great for Spanish football that Messi has stayed. He's an ambitious player and wants to win titles.
"That didn't happen for him last season and, on top of that, he wasn't connecting well with the sporting director and there wasn't a good feeling with the directors & president in general. Also, there were the tensions regarding the change of managers during last season too.
"Essentially, Messi is a mature player in his approach to situations like this. He knows that Barcelona is a club that fits with his style of playing football and shares a winning-mentality too.
"Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo has left La Liga and life goes on and Messi could go in the future and life would go on in La Liga too… with other great players…but players like Messi are just not replaceable, they are one-of-a-kind, one-off players.
"Yes, La Liga would survive without Messi but it wouldn't be the same. I'm glad that he has stayed."
