Lionel Messi signed a contract at the age of 13/photo from Messi's Instagram
The napkin on which Barcelona agreed to sign the 13-year-old Lionel Messi was sold at auction for 762,400 pounds . That's about 37,898,853 hryvnias at the current exchange rate.
The starting price was £300,000 for a “standard Spanish waxed napkin” measuring 16.5 x 16.5 centimeters,
strong>which was laminated and framed. The BBC writes about it.
The napkin, signed in blue ink in December 2000, contains the promise of the then director of “Barcelona”, Carles Rexach, to sign Messi. It was also signed by Josep Minguella, the Spanish club's transfer adviser, and Horatio Gallioli's agent, who recommended the Argentine youngster. The blue ink napkin was auctioned online by London's Bonhams on behalf of Gallioli.
Messi joined Barca a month after the deal was signed and became their top scorer and is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. Hemade his first-team debut at the age of 16and scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the Catalan club.
Messi won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues< /strong> with Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 – and the 36-year-old World Cup winner now plays for Inter Miami.
The napkin was signed at a meeting organized by Rexach, who invited Messi's father Jorge to lunch after Messi's family expressed concern about the lack of response from Barcelona following the teenager's first trial.
< strong>In translation, it sounds like this: “At Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, in the presence of Messrs Minghella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, hereby agrees, under his own responsibility and independent of any other opinion, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we will stick to the agreed amounts”.
The contract was signed on a napkin/Photo AP
Ian Ehling, Head of Fine Books and Manuscripts at Bonhams New York, said: “From the moment the sale was announced, Lionel Messi was certain to be signed: “Since the sale was first announced, it has attracted international attention and fans around the world expected this day”.
What a great result for one of the most exciting lots I've ever dealt with. Yes, it's a paper napkin, but it's the famous napkin that stood on the beginning of Lionel Messi's career,
– Eling noted.
She changed Messi's life, the future of Barcelona football club and played an important role in giving billions of fans around the world some of the brightest moments football.
Bonhams said that “allegations regarding the ownership of the napkin were made in March but have not been confirmed and, judging by recent press comments, have been denied.”
Auction the house added that the sender of the napkin has obtained a legal opinion confirming that he has clear title and the right to sell the napkin according to Spanish law, and that the seller provides a full warranty of title upon sale.