River Plate said yes. Lionel Messi was 11 years old, was already training with the millionaires’ club, and the verbal agreement was done: they would keep him and cover his treatment for growth hormone deficiency. 🔴⚪
There was only one step left: for Newell’s to release his transfer. Messi went to ask for it. They refused. That was where everything fell apart. That paperwork of a single sheet of paper, at that exact moment, closed River’s door and left Europe’s open. Months later, FC Barcelona appeared on the scene, covered all the medical expenses, and took him to the Catalan capital at 13 years old. 🔵🔴
He confessed it himself in an interview with Luzu TV, with that characteristic calm: “The idea was to never leave Barcelona, but that’s how things turned out”. It’s impossible not to wonder what would have happened if Newell’s had simply signed off on that transfer. 🤔