Have a look at the price of the contract which Lionel Messi signed with FC Barcelona on a napkin
The napkin on which FC Barcelona secured the signature of a 13-year-old Lionel Messi in December 2000 is set to go under the hammer between March 18 and 27.
Lionel Messi first contract with Barcelona signed on a napkin auction price, story, owner and how to bid and buy
Bonhams, the renowned British auction house, will oversee the auction, expecting a starting bid of approximately ยฃ300,000 (around โฌ350,000).
A napkin that secured Lionel Messi's boyhood move to Barcelona is going on sale and you can enter the bidding for one of football's most important artefacts if you have a spare ยฃ300,000 to hand.
The tale of Messi's transition from Argentina to Barcelona's La Masia academyโฆ pic.twitter.com/nJxjSNMZkm
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For years, the historic napkin has been stored in a secure deposit box owned by Horacio Gaggioli, the intermediary responsible for bringing Lionel Messi to Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi, who eventually made his Barcelona debut at 16, contributed two decades of unparalleled success to the club before departing in 2021, amassing an impressive 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and three UEFA Champions League victories.
The signing Itself, captured on the iconic napkin, took place on December 14, 2000, during a meeting between Lionel Messi’s family, agent Josep Maria Minguella, and football coach Carles Rexach.
Whatโs Written on It?
Faced with the closure of the club offices and concerns about the unresolved agreement, Rexach ingeniously penned the commitment on the napkin in a local bar.
The inscription read, โIn Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, in the presence of Mr. Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, technical secretary of FC Barcelona, commits, under his responsibility and in spite of some opinions to the contrary, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we maintain the amounts agreed upon.โ
Auction Amount
The auction announcement revealed that the napkin, symbolizing the beginning of Lionel Messi’s illustrious career at Barcelona, will initiate bidding at ยฃ300,000 ($381,000 or โฌ352,000).
Horacio Gaggioliโs careful safekeeping of this artifact adds an extra layer of significance to its historical value. The document, signed at the Pompeia tennis club, marked a pivotal moment in football history, leading to a formal agreement ratified by then-club president Joan Gaspart.
Thus began Lionel Messiโs remarkable 20-year journey with FC Barcelona, leaving an indelible mark on the clubโs history with 782 appearances, 674 goals, and 35 titles, before his departure in 2021.