They told me: 'Over there, over there, there's no one there,' believing it to be an empty spot. Unaware of the situation, he took the seat, only to realise moments later that it belonged to none other than Messi himself.
"He helped me a lot from the moment he arrived at Barcelona, he was with me at all times. He gave me advice, taught me things and did everything possible so that I could be where I am today, in the first division," Messi said in 2005.
Bartomeu argues that if things had been handled correctly, 'it would have been perfectly possible to renew Leo Messi and sign players.' He believes the current board's claims about financial losses are exaggerated.