Lionel Messi
- FC Barcelona |
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Check out Lionel Messi Biography playing for FC Barcelona. |
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Lionel Messi
started playing
football at a
very early age
for his hometown
club, Newell's
Old Boys. From
the age of 11,
he suffered from
a hormone
deficiency and
as his parents
were unable to
pay for
treatment in
Argentina, they
decided to move
to Barcelona,
Spain. Shortly
after arriving,
Lionel tried his
luck with a
trial at FC
Barcelona,
despite being
only 13 years of
age. He excelled
at the trial and
rapidly found
himself starting
for the
Barcelona B
team, averaging
more than a goal
per game.
In October 2004
Messi made his
official debut
for the first
team against RCD
Espanyol,
becoming the
third-youngest
player to ever
play for FC
Barcelona. He
scored his first
senior goal for
the club against
Albacete on
2005-05-01.
On 2005-06-27 FC
Barcelona
renewed his
contract until
2010,
establishing a
selling clause
of €150 million.
Messi obtained
Spanish
citizenship on
September 25 and
was finally able
to make his
debut in this
season's Spanish
First Division.
He had
previously been
unable to play
because FC
Barcelona had
filled their
quota of non-EU
players. Messi's
first outing in
the UEFA
Champions League
at the Nou Camp
was on September
28 against the
Italian club
Udinese. He
impressed with
some great
passing and a
seemingly
telepathic
relationship
with Ronaldinho
that earned him
a standing
ovation from the
70,000-odd Nou
Camp faithful.
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