LaLiga Barcelona the favourites in Tebas' eyes

LaLiga president Tebas: You all know who I want to win El Clasico

Tebas: I've no problem with Barcelona

According to LaLiga president Javier Tebas, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have reached heights that even Diego Maradona could not muster, making the first Clasico of the season all the more fascinating.

Although he couldn't pick between the two, the league's chief was sure that either the Argentine or the Portuguese would go down in history as the best player to ever play in Spain.

"Personally, I believe they have both surpassed Maradona," Tebas told beIN LaLiga when asked about Messi and Ronaldo.

"I wouldn't be able to say today who will win the battle to be the best ever player in LaLiga, but what I am sure of is that it will be one of those two players.

"It's not just that we have the best two players in the world with Messi and Ronaldo, but it's that we have the best two clubs in the world.

"I think this has been an aligning of the stars, which won't be repeated when one of them retires."

As for his prediction for this Saturday's crunch match, Tebas believed that Messi and his teammates would be the ones to come out on top, given their need for points.

"I consider Barcelona the favourites for this Clasico because the team that has most needed to win has done so in recent years," he explained.

Another talking point concerned the marketing of the match and of the league as a whole, with the president pointing out how important the money from international television audiences is for the clubs.

"If foreign LaLiga fans didn't pay to watch our football then we wouldn't have Ronaldo, Messi or any of the stars here," he said.

"We need to know how to make the most of a product as extraordinary as the Clasico, which is the most watched game in the world."

"We need to find the balance that suits those who go to the stadiums, while allowing fans around the world to enjoy our football."

Saturday's Clasico kicks off at 16:15 CET, a time that should allow many fans from across the globe to tune in.