by Luca Caioli
It is a difficult scenario to comprehend, given that in the 2004–05 season Leo played in a Champions League game with the first team against Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as in seven league games – with no professional licence and no EU documents, only his contracts for the youth team and the Barcelona Second Division B team. He had debuted in the Catalan derby against RCD Espanyol on Saturday 16 October 2004 in the Olympic stadium in Montjuïc. He comes onto the pitch to replace Deco and gets his first touch ten minutes later, after a pass from Belletti: some interesting action, but nothing exceptional that merits recording. Nonetheless, it is an unforgettable night for Leo – the realisation of a childhood dream, just as he was quoted in La Capital as saying that his goal was to ‘make it into the first team’. Although, at that time, he thought he would do it at Newell’s, his favourite team.
And he not only gets his premiere, he also scores his first league goal. It is 1 May 2005, the Nou Camp scoreboard indicates that there are three minutes remaining, and Barça are 1-0 up against Albacete. Frank Rijkaard brings off Samuel Eto’o, substituting Messi into the unusual position of centre forward. The youngster, only seventeen years and ten months old, takes advantage of a ball from Ronaldinho and beats the keeper, Valbuena, with a smoothly-timed shot. It is a moment of pure elation: Leo does not know what to do with himself, and ends up being hoisted onto his friend Ronnie’s (Ronaldinho’s) shoulders, screaming joyfully. He is the youngest player in the club’s history to score in a league game (a record later broken on 20 October 2007, when Bojan Krki´c scored against Villarreal).
Things have gone well for him in the first team, but after that 1 May match, the Argentine will not play another official match that season – not even after Barça have done enough to ensure their seventeenth league title.
At the start of the 2005–06 season, he does not even play in the Spanish Super Cup against Betis. In the first leg he is on the bench, in the return leg he is not even on the teamsheet. In fact, even before the official communication from the club, something is not right and the board knows it. Messi is an unresolved case. Complaints begin pouring in to the club. Why wasn’t this dealt with before? Why hasn’t he been naturalised, given that Argentines can opt to take on dual nationality (Spanish-Argentine) after two years of residence in Spain?
With news of the possibility that Leo might not be able to play in the league come other suggestions, such as forfeiting him to another club who have a non-EU spot open. A suggestion that is immediately dismissed. The rumours about possible interest from other European clubs, like Inter, become more and more persistent. The Italian club’s president, Massimo Moratti, has never tried to hide his interest in the player and has even made a financially attractive offer to Jorge Messi – who tries to use this bargaining chip to put pressure on Barcelona to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, on 31 August (the closing date for new team signings), FC Barcelona renew Messi’s licence as a youth player naturalised in the team that plays in the Second Division B. And on 16 September, the news that the player has signed a professional contract goes public. It will last for nine years, until 2014. According to various sources, his fees will increase to 3 million euros per season and the buyout clause to 150 million euros.
In reality, the announcement about the contract had already been made in June. ‘A week after his eighteenth birthday, Leo Messi has received his greatest present. Team secretary Txiki Begiristain has travelled to Utrecht, Holland, with the player’s father, in order to draw up his new contract, which guarantees him a place at the club until 2010,’ reads the Barça website on 30 June, while the youngster is playing in the FIFA Under 20 World Cup.
There are various theories about this discrepancy over dates: some maintain that Messi, now legally an adult, simply accepted the new deal; others reckon that the contract was ultimately modified in September, because the player’s father was not satisfied with some of the clauses about incentives; there are those who think that the length of the contract was increased, from the usual five years to the final nine; still others believe that the September agreement was nothing more than a declaration of intent, implying that a professional contact would be signed in accordance with all regulations the following year. The fact remains that the issue of the contract adds new material to the ongoing soap opera, which takes a new twist on 20 September. An overwhelming majority of the PFL committee votes against: the rule proposed by the Spanish Football Federation and the Association of Spanish Footballers concerning naturalised players will not come into effect. Those who are firmly in agreement with the Blaugrana president talk of a conspiracy against Barça, hatched by the powers that be in Spanish football. One thing for sure is that Messi cannot play in the league. He can play in the Champions League, however, without any problem. After examining the documents sent over by Barcelona, UEFA has agreed that he can play. They recognise his naturalised status. There is nothing extraordinary about it – Leo has already played many games in the European competition the previous season. And in the first Champions League match, against Werder Bremen, the most dangerous Group C opponent, the Argentine shines. He comes on in the second half. He wins a penalty, which is converted by Ronaldinho, and which puts paid to the hopes of the Germans. It is an important moment, which can only point towards him being placed in the starting line-up for the next match, against Udinese at the Nou Camp. But on the following day, 26 September, news arrives that puts an end to previous issues. At 1.00pm, Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini appears before Fernando Alberti Vecino, the judge presiding over the civil register, and proclaims ‘that he does not renounce his Argentine nationality; that he swears allegiance to the King and obedience to the Constitution and Spanish laws; that he chooses Catalan civil residency; and that he petitions for the right to be inscribed into the Spanish civil register’.
In short, Leo has secured Spanish nationality: he is now a citizen of the EU. Barça presents the documentation to the Spanish Federation. The response is immediate and positive: ‘In accordance with the rule in force [the Federation] recognises the aforementioned footballer’s right to play with his club, taking into account his Spanish status, which is valid for any purpose.’
On 1 October, the sixth match day of the league, Leo will be able to join his team on the pitch against Zaragoza, with a weight lifted from his mind. That Saturday the Nou Camp crowd treat him as if he is a national hero. Barça is losing 2-0. Leo comes on in the second half but does not produce any miracles, although in the final moments Rijkaard’s team manages to pull off an extraordinary draw. All should be well that ends well – but not this time.
Two days later, on Monday 3 October, Deportivo de La Coruña – Barça’s next opponents – send a letter to the PFL, copied to the Spanish Football Federation Competition Committee, in which they petition for an injunction, requesting an investigation into the Barcelona player’s naturalisation case. ‘The player’s national licence,’ write Deportivo, ‘has been obtained (and therefore given) outside the usual period for obtaining licences, which ended on 31 August and will not open again until December.’ The crux of the demand ‘is the reestablishment of equality in the competition, which it is believed has been violated, although of course once the inquiry has been carried out, this matter of undue infraction of the rules will come to an end’. The Alavés bosses, who had already threatened to kick up a fuss, go even further: they petition the Professional League to ban Messi from playing. From their point of view, his licence to play is null and void ‘in the eyes of the law, given that processing it implies an evasion of the law’. Why? Because ‘Barcelona could not arrange Messi’s professional licence before 31 August, the date when the window for such licences closes, since at that point he was still a foreigner,’ explains Javier Tebas, who is not only the legal advisor for Alavés, but also vice president of the PFL. ‘Now they have given him Spanish nationality and have obtained a youth licence for him, with the intention of backdating it to 31 August and with the hope of playing him, de
spite the fact that the window for new signings is closed.’
In other words, Leo cannot rely on his EU residency until January. Moreover, ‘given the contract that has been signed, how can Messi play with his youth team licence for the first team?’ asks Tebas.
Joan Laporta loses his patience, declaring: ‘We have sufficient legal basis for playing him. I don’t know what else they want from us. We tried to do everything by the book and now that he has a Spanish passport they keep creating problems. I don’t know why everyone is taking such an interest in damaging the player’s career. They are stirring up trouble to prevent Messi from playing with Barça.’
The Blaugrana president goes on the counterattack, making historical references: ‘I don’t want to imagine the possibility that nowadays, in an era when democratic rights and liberties exist, we are going to drag up the past, like the Di Stéfano case.’
A few details to refresh the memory: Alfredo Di Stéfano, known as the Blond Arrow, arrived in Spain from Argentina in 1953 to play for Barcelona. But the intervention of people in high places ended up turning the matter into a national issue and invalidating the signing. Even the advisory board got involved in the matter, stating that, given the player’s importance, he shouldn’t be given an exclusively Catalan residency, and putting forward the ‘fair’ proposal that the footballer play alternating seasons for Barça and Real Madrid. Luckily for the Whites, it was a solution the Catalan club rejected.
But the past does not come back to haunt Barça. Laporta’s concerns are only phantoms that do not reappear. One thing for sure is that the Messi case ends up all over the sports pages across the country and provokes a scandal in Argentina. The first ruling from the Spanish Football Federation’s Competition Committee appears on 18 October, stating that ‘due to his naturalisation, Messi can continue to play as a Spaniard’. This last is followed by outrage from Alavés and Deportivo, appeals and counter-appeals, rulings and fierce debates, but in the meantime, Leo keeps playing. With the exception of the match against Deportivo, when Rijkaard decides to rest him because he has just returned from a match with the Argentine national team, and because the Galician team had threatened to contest the fixture if the Argentine was playing, the Blue and Claret number 19 continues his hard work in the league. The issue continues in dispatches until the following year, but does not really make itself felt on the pitch. And so the Flea debuts at the Santiago Bernabéu on 19 November. It is his first time playing in this classic derby. Less than a month later, on 14 December, he receives the Golden Boy award at the Nou Camp, the annual prize awarded by the Turin sports publication Tuttosport to the best Under 21 player. Thanks to his achievements in the Under 20 World Cup, Messi steamrollers his opponents: Wayne Rooney only scores 127 points against the Argentine’s 225. It is another source of recognition, which comes at just the right time: the Germany World Cup is only six months away and all these honours transform the Flea into a more desirable entity in the eyes of both small and large sponsors.
From McDonald’s to Pepsi, Spanish oil and gas company Repsol YPF to La Serenísima yoghurts, Lays crisps to Storkman shoes, Garbarino electrical appliances to MasterCard, dozens of them are bidding for Messi, who has just shared a set with Maradona. They are pictured together signing a television: ‘Look at what they’re signing, they’re the best.’
Lionel plays with everyone and everything. ‘Football: 30 pesos. Tennis ball: twelve pesos. A kilo of oranges – three pesos,’ runs the MasterCard advert while showing clips of the youngster having fun with a football, a tennis ball and an orange, concluding: ‘Discovering there’s hope after Diego – priceless.’
He plays with sad children for Bubbaloo, he dances with the ball to a tango rhythm for Pepsi. And that’s nothing compared to the latest campaigns, like the one with the Messiah who ascends to the heavens for A-Style, an Italian caps and sportswear brand, or the one where Messi appears disguised as a footballing grandma for an Air Europa advert at the end of 2007.
But there is no point wasting time describing images, it would be easier just to go to YouTube to see how advertisers have made use of the image and abilities of Messi the juggler to sell anything and everything.
By the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006, it is undeniable that in the public sphere Leo is considered a coveted trophy – as proven by the war sparked between American sports giant Nike and German triple-stripers Adidas.
Chapter 19
A breath of fresh air
Conversation with Fernando Solanas, Head of Sports Marketing at Adidas Iberia
Is it true that Nike and Adidas, the giants of the sports store world, ended up in court over Messi?
‘It’s true, but let me tell you the story from the beginning. It was in 2003 that I first made contact with Jorge, Lionel’s father and agent. At that time Messi had a contract with Nike, just for sportswear: in exchange for his image, they supplied him with trainers, clothes, etc. Jorge told me that they were happy with the American firm, who had made the bid for him two years earlier when he was only fourteen and played in the FC Barcelona youth team. It had not occurred to him to change sponsor. But I did not want to lose the contact and the following year (when Nike’s sportswear contract was ending) I spoke to him again, making him see that there was good profit to be made if he negotiated with us.’
Let me see if I’ve got this right. In 2003 Messi was only sixteen years old and already a multinational company like Adidas was trying to ‘steal’ him from the competition …
‘It’s our job to be on the lookout for the stars of the future. That’s why we go to the experts in every sector. I played football. I love the sport and I might have a fairly good eye for players, but when it comes to deciding where to invest, I trust only the opinions of the coaches, the scouts, the “talent-hunters”: in short, those who work alongside the youngsters. And five years ago all of them were saying that Messi was the gem in the Barça youth squad. They predicted his explosion … I couldn’t waste any time.’
OK, let’s continue with the story …
‘Once the Nike contract has ended, Jorge decides not to sign with anyone else. He keeps receiving sports products from Nike because they sponsor Barcelona, but he wants to wait before making a deal for his son. I see him play in the Under 20 World Cup in 2005, wearing Nike gear. Messi is already a first-team player at Barça and things go very well for him in Holland. At that moment I think some very interesting offers start to land on Messi’s doorstep from other European clubs, like Juventus.’
And what happens in terms of sponsorship?
‘Two days before leaving for Holland, Jorge signs a letter of intention with Nike. Then things get complicated: they negotiate for many months without reaching an agreement … until we intervene. We make an interesting offer, both in terms of money and in terms of representing the Germany World Cup. And in January 2006 we sign a contract until June 2010.’
They say that in terms of money … Adidas offered five times the annual income offered by Nike … and we’re talking more than a million dollars – true or false?
‘The figures are always confidential, we can’t reveal the conditions of the contract.’
Alright, let’s continue with the story because this is where the war between Adidas and Nike begins. Why, when Messi first wore his Adidas Predator outfit and scored a goal against Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey did Nike scream at the top of their voices: ‘Messi has a deal with us and we’re going to do whatever it takes for him to honour it’?
‘Yes. Nike took the case to the courts and the judge cautiously ruled that Leo had to play in Nike equipment, so as not to hurt the supposed rights of the American firm.’
But in the end you won the battle, correct?
‘I wouldn’t call it a battle, but yes, the latest ruling was the one that determined Messi had no obligations towards Nike. Since then we have gradually started working with Leo.’
What does Leo represent to the football world and to sports marketing?
‘Leo is something new, a breath of fresh air, the new Maradona. On the pitch it is like he is animated. In short, a very attractive personality.’
No one disputes his appeal on a footballing level, but as a personality … isn’t he a very shy and modest kid?
‘That’s exactly what people like about him, that he’s normal, he’s a kid who loves being with his family and friends, who plays PlayStation and doesn’t notice the buzz he generates. His simple nature is his greatest advantage. Too often sports stars seem to inhabit their own universe, very far from us. Leo, with his shyness, is close to all the fans.’
Let’s talk about your campaign, ‘Impossible is Nothing’, in which Messi is one of the key figures.
‘They are real stories that our icons tell. The idea is to convey to the consumer that nothing is impossible. And in this case Leo tells his life story: an eleven-year-old boy who had the physical stature of an eight-year-old, but who didn’t let that stand in the way of succeeding. Through hard work, perseverance, willpower, nothing is impossible. Leo is a perfect example. It is worth remembering that at thirteen he crossed an ocean, arrived at Barcelona, and after starting in the youth teams he has made it as a global football star.’
What does Leo sell?
‘Authenticity.’
Where does he sell?
‘He is strongest in Latin America, Spain and Asia, especially in Japan.’