The British auction house "Bonhams" announced today that it is putting up for sale a paper napkin from the year 2000, which is considered the first contractual promise of Argentine legend Lionel Messi with Spanish team Barcelona. Bonhams revealed that the starting price for the napkin will be €350,000, and it will be displayed until May 10 of this year.
The story of the napkin dates back to when the Spanish club discovered Messi at the age of 13, but not everyone at the club was convinced of his abilities, which led to his father's impatience until a meeting took place on December 14, 2000, at a tennis club in Barcelona, between Carlos Recha, the Catalan club's sports director, and agents Josep Minguella and Horacio Gaggioli.
To confirm Barcelona's interest, Carlos Recha, at the time, wrote in blue ink on a simple napkin that he "accepts, under his responsibility, and despite any differing opinions, to contract with player Lionel Messi, provided that the agreed amounts are respected." A formal contract was later drawn up between Lionel Messi and Barcelona, but Argentine agent Gaggioli kept this initial proof of the agreement for almost 25 years, which he decided to sell at auction.
