Barcelona legend Lionel, 34, is set to leave the club due to financial constraints, meaning a new contract cannot be finalised. This news marks a new chapter in the formidable career of the striker who has won a record 6 Ballon d’Or awards.
At every stage of Messi’s journey, his father Jorge has been a significant influence. Despite the rumours, Messi’s biggest influence off the pitch is his 63-year-old father, a former metal factory worker in Rosario, Argentina. It was Jorge Messi who coached his son at local team Grandoli before joining Newell’s Old Boys. When the football prodigy needed hormone injections due to a growth disorder, Messi’s father gave his son a trial at Barcelona.
Messi’s family moved to Spain when Lionel was 13. He impressed coaches and clubs who agreed to pay for his treatment. Messi signed the first contract of his career on a napkin.
“Léo always does what I say, as a coach,” Jorge shared in 2013. “Even today it is still the same. My son never told me that he grew up to become the best player in the world. I am a father and my son has always looked at me as when I was his coach at Grandoli.”
Messi’s happy family. Photo: CGI.
Leo played his first matches at the Grandoli Club before people realised he had a natural aptitude for the sport. Jorge coached his son and gave him instructions for further development.
Remember, at the age of 10 Messi suffered from a growth disorder and needed expensive treatment. Although the Messi family is not poor, £900 worth of hormone injections is out of their reach. Newell’s Old Boys Club was also unable to sponsor them, although by then Leo had already made himself known through an article in La Capital de Rosario in September 2000.
Messi’s father and son have been missing for several weeks. Schools and people outside the family do not know where they are going. Club Newell thought he had gone to Buenos Aires and signed for a rival club, while another malicious rumour said he had hepatitis.
Jorge often offers good advice and guides his son along the way…
… with careful calculation contributed greatly to Messi’s success. Photo: CGI.
The truth is that Messi and his son went to Catalonia to try their luck at Barcelona. The young Messi mesmerized the coaches at La Masia Academy with the ball but there was no immediate contract offer.
Messi returned to Rosario, while Jorge was undergoing another trial with the famous River Plate to put pressure on Barcelona. Finally, in the presence of the then advisors of the Messi family, Josep Maria Minguella and Horacio Gaggioli, an agreement with the Spanish club was signed on a napkin.
Messi arrives at the Catalan club on a salary of £120,000 a year, but more importantly he can receive the hormone treatment he needs. However, 12 months into his contract, Barcelona’s general manager was disappointed by the excessive sums for a young teenager, not even close to first-team level. Another senior Barca official also sarcastically asked: “Who does he think he is, Maradona?”
Messi’s extended family, made up of his parents, wife and children, is the most important source of motivation in his career. Photo: CGI.
Jorge contacted Jorge Valdano, former general manager of Real Madrid, to see if Los Blancos would be interested in signing his son. Fortunately, in the end Messi stayed at La Masia.
Just a few months after turning 18, Messi assisted Andres Iniesta to score in a 2-2 draw against Juventus, with 90,000 fans singing his name for the first time. But due to La Liga’s difficult regulations, Messi was unable to play for Barcelona at the time because there were too many non-Spanish players in their squad.
Inter Milan entered the hunt for Messi’s signature with a deal to triple his salary with Barcelona, in addition to two other lower offers. However, Barca were quicker to increase Messi’s salary in just 18 months. More importantly, President Laporta convinced the authorities to allow Messi and his father to become Spanish citizens, allowing him to play in La Liga without any problems.
Whether Messi reunites Neymar with a PSG shirt or not, he will surely have the decisive voice of his father Jorge.
Three years after his debut, Messi soon became Barcelona’s highest-paid player, surpassing Ronaldinho. Over the years, some of Messi’s contract terms have been increased to ensure that he and his family are happy.
Messi’s next club will most likely be his last step in football. But most importantly, Jorge has a duty to look after his son: the best footballer in the world, whether he plays for PSG or anywhere else, always has a decisive voice.
