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Historical Account of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona Career
The bidding for the napkin that marked the beginning of Lionel Messi’s exceptional career at Barcelona commenced this week, setting the stage for an anticipated auction. The guide price for this prized document is set between £300,000 and £500,000 ($374,700-$624,500), with the current bidding reaching £220,000. The auction, conducted by the esteemed British auction house Bonhams, will continue until May 17.
Background of the Auction
Originally planned for March, the auction endured a delay due to a dispute regarding the ownership of the historic napkin. Held by Horacio Gaggioli, an Argentine agent, for the past two decades, the ownership of the napkin was contested when Josep Minguella, another key figure in Messi’s transition from Argentina to Barcelona, claimed possession of the document earlier this year. However, Gaggioli, asserting his ownership on Bonhams’ website, rebuffed Minguella’s claim. The auction house has affirmed that there are no complications regarding the sale of the napkin.
When Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge, became apprehensive about Barcelona’s commitment to his son in 2000, Carles Rexach, the club’s director of football at that time, hastily drafted an agreement on a napkin. This agreement, signed by Rexach, Minguella, and Gaggioli, served as a promise of a future contract and has since been safeguarded in a secure vault in Andorra.
Historic Signing on a Napkin
The agreement, penned on December 14, 2000, at a tennis club in Barcelona, played a pivotal role in securing Messi’s future at Barcelona amidst concerns raised by his father. Rexach, reflecting on the event in 2020, described the impromptu signing on a napkin as a result of the urgent need to reassure Jorge Messi of the commitment towards his son.
“I decided everything,” Rexach recounted, “Why a napkin? Because it was the only thing I had available to hand. I saw the only way to relax Jorge was signing something, giving him some proof, so I asked for a napkin from the waiter.”
This quirky yet significant agreement laid the foundations for Lionel Messi’s illustrious journey at Barcelona, where he has established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Messi went on to amass an impressive record at Barcelona before pursuing new challenges with Paris Saint-Germain and eventually finding his way to MLS side Inter Miami.
Legacy of Lionel Messi
Throughout his tenure at Barcelona, Messi claimed numerous accolades and titles, including multiple LaLiga championships, Copa del Rey triumphs, and Champions League victories. Individually, he has been the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award on eight occasions, solidifying his status as one of the sport’s most decorated athletes.
While international success initially eluded him, Messi achieved a historic milestone by clinching the Copa América in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022 with Argentina, adding to his Olympic Gold Medal from 2008. His enduring legacy as a football icon continues to inspire generations and shape the narrative of the sport.
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