British public sale home Bonhams introduced on Friday that the serviette bearing Lionel Messi’s signature for his first Barcelona contract in 2000 was bought for a whopping 760,000 kilos ($965,630).
Initially projected to fetch between 300,000 and 500,000 kilos, the net public sale, which ran from May 8 to May 17, exceeded all expectations.
“The napkin changed the fortunes of both the club and Messi himself, who went on to become one of the greatest players of all time,” Bonhams mentioned.
The piece of soccer memorabilia had been fastidiously preserved in a protected by Horacio Gaggioli, Messi’s consultant on the time.
The serviette bears not solely Messi’s signature but in addition these of Carles Rexach, then Barcelona’s technical secretary, and Josep Maria Minguella, the expertise scout credited with discovering the participant.
The serviette, which was signed throughout a lunch at La Reial Societat de Tennis Pompeia in Montjuic, holds a written dedication by Rexach.
“In Barcelona, on December 14, 2000, and in the presence of Messrs. Minguella and Horacio, Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona’s sporting director, hereby agrees, under his responsibility and regardless of any dissenting opinions, to sign the player Lionel Messi, provided that we keep to the amounts agreed upon,” it’s written on the serviette.
Messi, who has since received a number of main titles, together with the Champions League and the World Cup, was solely 13 when he joined the Barcelona academy from his native Argentinian membership Newell’s Old Boys in 2000.
The world champion left Barca in 2021 for Paris Saint-Germain, earlier than transferring to Inter Miami final 12 months.
Source: www.dailysabah.com