If you’re familiar with the legend of the Lionel Messi napkin, you’ll be captivated by its journey. If you’re only hearing it for the first time, here’s a brief recap: On December 14th, 2000, 13-year-old Messi was on the brink of signing with Barcelona. A meeting was held including Carles Rexach, the club’s Sporting Director, Messi’s agent, Horacio Gaggioli, and Josep Minguella, the club’s transfer consultant. Using a random napkin, Rexach drafted an agreement to sign Messi to the club, penning down the conditions and terms. This very napkin is currently displayed in New York, and soon to make appearances in Paris and London, before it will be up for sale in an online auction from March 18th to 27th. You can join in if you have a spare €350,000, which is just the starting bid. Ian Ehling from Bonhams New York, a global auction house, anticipates a much higher price.
Elsewhere, Ross Morrison, the Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman, is very fond of his manager, Duncan Ferguson who he describes as an inexhaustible force. Meanwhile, Neil Warnock, former manager of Aberdeen, humorously commented on his retirement, suggesting its uncertainty because of his seniority. Lastly, Javier Aguirre, Real Mallorca’s coach, drew an interesting comparison between 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and Messi, hinting at a bright future for the youngster in Barcelona. These words from the best in football create an intriguing narration, just as fascinating as the Messi napkin story.
While observing Bayern Munich’s Champions League face-off with Lazio from the sidelines, Thomas Tuchel remained surprisingly seated throughout, sparking rumours of fading drive for the job following a patchy run and the announcement of his upcoming departure from the club. However, Tuchel revealed that a pre-match accident with a door left him nursing a suspected fractured toe, forcing him to sit to manage the pain, noting that his foot injury didn’t deter the team from achieving a 3-0 victory over Lazio after having lost the initial leg 1-0 and bagging a place in the quarter-finals.
In other news, Erling Haaland delivered a sassy retort to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s claim about Liverpool’s trophies having superior significance compared to Manchester City’s, reminding the Liverpool man of his successful one-year tenure which saw him secure a treble.
Spurs’ manager, Ange Postecoglou, remarked on the transient nature of clinching a position in the top four, dubbing it a fleeting moment rather than a golden ticket, unless it was followed up with further triumphs. This comment came following an impressive 4-0 triumph over Aston Villa.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged his need for ample sleep, with a jesting reference to Margaret Thatcher, insisting he required more than the former prime minister’s reported quota of four hours per night.
Elsewhere, Damien Duff shared his ‘all or nothing’ approach towards his Shelbourne players, vouching for his unabashed honesty and varied coaching techniques which includes anything from a hearty embrace to a swift reprimand.
In Spanish football updates, Marca reports a staggering offer of 200 Million Euros from Paris Saint-Germain for the prodigious 16-year-old Barcelona wonderkid, Yamal.
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