LAGOS APRIL 17TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Lionel Messi has followed in David Beckham’s footsteps by buying his very own football club. The Argentine, who is widely considered to be the greatest to ever play the beautiful game, is currently thriving in the twilight stages of his career with Inter Miami.
Beckham exercised an option to set up the club in 2014, before founding it in 2018. In the years since, Inter Miami has gone on to enjoy marked success in the MLS, clinching the Leagues Cup in 2023 before winning their conference the following year.
On top of that, the club has also attracted a number of world-class stars since its inception, from Messi to the likes of Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba. And now, it appears as though Messi is setting up the next stage of his own glorious career by purchasing UE Cornella in the Spanish fifth division.
Based in Catalonia, like his beloved Barcelona where he spent 17 years of his playing career, Messi is understood to have bought a 100 per cent stake in Cornella, meaning he will own the club outright. An official statement announcing the acquisition read: “UE Cornella announces that Argentinian footballer and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Leo Messi has formalized the acquisition of the club, becoming the new owner of the Baix Llobregat institution.
“This move reinforces Messi’s close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia – a connection rooted in his years at FC Barcelona and sustained ever since. Founded in 1951, UE Cornella is one of the clubs with the greatest tradition in Catalan football, as well as at the national level.
“Throughout its history, the club has distinguished itself through a strong youth academy and its ability to compete at the highest levels of Spanish semi-professional football, becoming a benchmark in the development of young talent.
Mirror.co.uk
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