Is it auctioned or not? The extensive dispute over Messi’s legendary napkin in Barcelona :: Olé

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04/24/2024 7:10 p.m. Updated on 04/24/2024 7:41 p.m.

At the end of January the news went viral that the legendary napkin on which Barcelona signed that it would hire Lionel Messi would be auctioned. On that paper, it is worth remembering, Horacio Gaggioli (Leo’s representative at that time), Josep María Minguella (historical Spanish representative and who is credited with being the discoverer of the Argentine star) and Carles Rexach, technical secretary of the Catalan club, signed. A piece of historical value, of course, because it represents the first existing document between Leo and the Blaugrana institution. The intention was for it to be auctioned between March 18 and 27 by the British betting house Bonhams. However, that never happened. What happened?

To understand the situation, it must be noted, first of all, that the napkin is in the possession of Gaggioli, Leo’s former representative. And it was he who had the intention of auctioning it through Bonhams. But that was when From Minguella’s entourage they opposed it.

“It should be exhibited in the Barcelona museum”Minguella told Relevo in mid-March of this year, when it became known that Bonhams postponed the auction due to the conflict that began on both sides. In that dialogue, the Spaniard also maintained that the ownership of the napkin falls not only on Gaggioli but also on him and Rexach, who also signed the paper. And it didn’t take long for the Argentine’s public response to arrive.

“Minguella’s versions are contradictory and untrue. One day he said that the napkin was in his office in a folder and he didn’t give it any more thought. And another day he said that I (Gaggioli) kept the napkin after the match (at the Pompeia club) and took it home. That is to say, The napkin was never in his office in a folder. It falls into contradictory versions because Minguella has never known where the napkin was, because the napkin has never been his. Minguella has always known that the napkin was in my hands,” Gaggioli responded in those weeks, in dialogue with the media Esport 3 and Diari Ara.

Gaggioli with the napkin in his hands. (Photo: AP)

And he even maintained that Minguella never asked him for the napkin: “He has never claimed it from me since December 2000. Now he is simply taking advantage of the global visibility of the sale of the napkin to maintain and increase his cache on radio and television at the expense of the truth. I responded to Minguella’s burofax on March 18, 2024 and Bonhams (the bookmaker). We have demanded that he maintain before a notary what he says on radio and television and he has not been able to do so.

It is worth saying that Gaggioli said that he tried to sell it to Barcelona to display it in the Barcelona Museum during the presidency of Sandro Rosell (2010-2014) but, at that time, the club decided not to buy it because it was “a confidential contract”and that they preferred not to expose it to the public “until Messi retires or leaves the club”, as Horacio told Infobae.

The historic napkin. (Photo: AP)

A new auction and…

Now, after this first clash, Bonhams republished the napkin auction to hold it between April 2 and 11. But it was frozen again due to the conflict between Gaggioli and Minguella. And now, again, The auction for the historic object was resumed, with an end date of May 17.

Although the legal conflict remains, the Bonhams website already has the auction available, which starts at a starting price of £200,000. The British house hopes to sell it for between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds sterling. Does it beat the record? If it is sold between those numbers, no, given that the highest value item auctioned by the house was a 1912 Simplex car that sold for £4.4 million.

Messi’s napkin, already on display at Bonhams. (Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

The history of the napkin

The signing took place at a lunch at La Reial Societat de Tennis Pompeia de Montjuïc, on Leo’s trip to Barcelona. But how did it get there?

Josep Maria Minguella is known as the “discoverer” of Messi. He, after learning about the situation of the now captain of the National Team, was in charge of supervising the trip to Barcelona: he arranged accommodation for Leo and Jorge Messi. Then, at a lunch that the three shared with Carles Rexach and the player’s representative at the time, Horacio Gaggioli, the commitment was signed.

On said napkin, both parties committed to comply with the agreed agreement, and in this way the love story between Messi and Barcelona began. This is what the piece of paper said: “In Barcelona, ​​on December 14, 2000 and in the presence of Messrs. Minguella and Horacio (Gaggioli), Carles Rexach, Technical Secretary of the FCB, undertakes under his responsibility and despite “some opinions are against signing the player Lionel Messi as long as we stay within the agreed amounts.”