It happened through a column written for the Coaches’ Voice, one of Barcelona’s historic managers shared his opinion about Messi’s future.
Lionel Messi’s future is the most controversial topic in world football today, especially in Barcelona. The Argentine knows that the Catalan club isn’t going through a good period as they try to navigate one of the biggest crises in history. All supporters can do is appeal to Leo’s heart and hope he can remember his humble beginnings. They wish he could choose to stay by remembering the club that gave him his first chance to become a professional.
The man who signed his first contract is Carles Rexach, who made the decision to give him a place at the club’s academy. In a recent column written for The Coaches’ Voice, ‘Charly’ revealed details about the moment he decided to sign Messi. He also wrote about the way he fought for a 13-year-old to get a contract with the club. Many credit Rexach for “discovering” Leo, but he disagrees.
Rexach: “The best decision of my life”
This is a short excerpt from Rexach’s column for The Coaches’ Voice: “When he made his debut with the first team under Rijkaard, I was so happy. It was a game where that same player I spotted on the first day got his debut. In that game, we prepared him to play with kids much older than him in order to see if he was worthy to play at Barcelona. Normally, academy players who make their debut can seem shy. They have a hard time adapting but he asked for the ball immediately. In a Barcelona squad with players like Ronaldinho. But he didn’t care about that.
“In fact, Ronaldinho assisted him on his first goal. Messi is happy when he plays football. I haven’t spoken to him about what happened last summer and his intention to leave the club. But it was a forgettable year in every sense, it must’ve affected him as well. I have the feeling that he will remain in Barcelona. All he needs is a squad that is capable of winning because he will do the rest. That’s how it’s always been. It’s funny because a lot of people think I was the one who discovered him. But I’ve always said it, I didn’t discover Messi. He discovered himself. I only made the decision to sign him. The best decision of my life.”
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