PSG hit back at Tebas over Mbappe contract claims: La Liga is going downhill
Robin Bairner
- 24 May 2022 00:02 BST
- 3 min read
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has hit back at La Liga president Javier Tebas over his criticism of the club’s new contract with Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe has signed on at PSG until 2025, having spent much of the last year looking poised to move to Spain with Real Madrid.
However, he completed a dramatic U-turn in his thinking to pen a massive new deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
Latest news
It is an agreement that Tebas has described as an “insult” to football, though Al-Khelaifi has responded in a combative manner.
“La Liga isn’t the same as it was three or four years ago,” he told the press when asked about the Spaniard’s remarks as he and Mbappe held a press conference on Monday.
“Maybe it is a good thing if Ligue 1 is doing better than La Liga. I always want to be positive and I think this is a positive thing for us and Ligue 1.
“I have respect for all clubs but we need respect as well. Respect is crucial. I’m not going to get into what you asked because that is not my business. We’re focused on our club, on our top player in the world. That is what matters to us. We have the best player in the world here with us for three years. As for what other people are saying, that’s not an issue.”
Is Ligue 1 stronger than La Liga?
Over the course of the last season, UEFA’s coefficient shows that Ligue 1 clubs have performed marginally better than their Spanish counterparts in European competition this season, although that would change if Real Madrid were to overcome Liverpool in the Champions League final.
Furthermore, it would also be a very notable exception in the rivalry, which has long seen Spain hold the upper hand.
However, there is little doubt that Spain is losing its grip on European football, having been outperformed by the Premier League in four of the last five seasons.
Mbappe staying at PSG certainly hurts Real Madrid and La Liga in this regard but does by no means signify a sea change.
