Lionel messi
Reply With QuoteEarly life
Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[15][16][17][18] His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[19][20] He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named María Sol.[21] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[22] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.[22] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[23] The traditional River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition which cost $900 a month.[18] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial.[18] Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin.[24][25] Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.[22][25]
Club career
Barcelona
Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against Porto.[26][27] Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga. This record was broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona[28] until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist.[29] Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."[30]
2005–06 season
"The Maradona and Pelé polemics will end"
—Diego Maradona, on the consequences if Messi won the 2010 World Cup[31]
On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014.[22] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005[32] and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[26] Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.[33]
Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[34] Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe
