When was messi scouted

There had been arguments at boardroom level. The first team were struggling and Gaspart was under pressure, tumbling head-first into an abyss. Soon, the Camp Nou would be full of fans waving white hankies and chanting for him to resign. Barcelona were about to embark upon a five season trophyless run, their longest since the s. They would not win anything until , by which time Gaspart had gone, they had a new president and Messi was in the first team.

For now, he was a long way from the first team and a kid from Argentina was not the priority. And, as Gaspart insists, irritated at the popular and unfair image of him as an obstacle to Messi joining, the club he presided over did finally commit to signing the player who a decade later this week stands on the verge of becoming the all-time leading scorer in La Liga , aged only All was not yet resolved. Leo was asked if he wanted to join them. He insisted on staying. He was determined to make it.

In December he signed a new contract. Things were moving. Messi was progressing quickly, racing through the system, scoring goals. He overcame injury to feature in the World Cup and helped his team reach the Copa America final last year. Messi is said to be dating an Argentinian teenager called Maracena Lemos, an aspiring model whom he met during a period of recuperation from injury.

It is said she was only 14 when they met. No injury is ever likely to faze Messi after coming through his childhood difficulties, but he does seem to have had some bad ones. He tore a thigh in a Champions League tie against Chelsea in before breaking his foot the following season.

He was sidelined for six weeks again after tearing a thigh muscle this March against Celtic. He left the field in tears. Messi ran more than half the length of the field and beat six players before slotting the ball into the net from a tight angle. Messi endured a miserable debut for Argentina when he was sent off against Hungary in Budapest just two minutes after coming off the bench. He was adjudged to have elbowed Vilmos Vanczak and left the field in tears.

During a four-day trial, Messi and his father denied breaking the law and claimed they were unaware of any tax illegalities that were committed. However, they were both sentenced to 21 months in prison. Under Spanish law, first offenses under two years are suspended so they did not go to jail, but Messi was ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros. His father was required to pay 1. On June 30, , Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia.

Messi and Roccuzzo have three children together: Thiago, born in November , Mateo, born in September and Ciro, born in March Messi met Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario when he was 5 years old. Although famously private off the field, Messi has quietly helped others in need. In , he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early , UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children's rights across the globe.

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