Kanoute: Two-team La Liga shameful

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Kanoute played a key role for Sevilla as they enjoyed a period of success in the mid-2000s including winning consecutive UEFA Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.

Since then Sevilla have struggled while teams like Real and Barcelona continue to fight it out for honours year after year.

After an injury hit last season, the 34-year-old striker is set to leave the club on a free transfer after seven seasons at the club. And he admits to having a tinge of regret at seeing La Liga become primarily a two-horse race.

"It has become a two-team championship," Kanoute told FIFA.com.

"Around the world, whenever La Liga is mentioned, people only talk about Real and Barca. It's a shame.

"A few years ago, a team like Sevilla would have been able to compete with them and cause them problems. But in the past two years they've had a lead of around 20 points over everyone else, which is frustrating."

Valencia were the last team to break up the Real-Barca duopoly in La Liga when they clinched the title in 2003/04.

Kanoute added: "It's possible [to beat Real or Barca] but it's very difficult, as they are so far above everyone else."

"I know that some of the smaller teams sometimes go out on the pitch knowing that they will lose, so their aim is to concede as few goals as possible. But I think that most teams have not given up and will work to make up the ground."

However, Kanoute insists he feels proud to have played in era which saw him compete directly against Pep Guardiola's now legendary Barcelona team and their star man Lionel Messi.

"In a few years' time, when I look back and think that I competed against Guardiola's Barcelona, I'll realise how lucky I was to have played against the best team Barca has ever had," he said.

"I don't usually like watching football on TV that much, but when Barca are playing I make an exception. The world of football has been lucky to have this team.

"He [Messi] is not human; he's from another planet. I've played against him several times and he's incredible - he's not a normal player. In the same way that there's Barcelona and the rest of the world, there is also Messi and the rest of the Barca players. He does things that only he is capable of doing. He's exceptional."

Kanoute spent five years in the Barclays Premier League before joining Sevilla.