It remains to be seen whether Argentinian youngster Franco Bartucci will live up to the hype. Whisked away from Estudiantes de la Plata, Bar...
It remains to be seen whether Argentinian youngster Franco Bartucci will live up to the hype. Whisked away from Estudiantes de la Plata, Barcelona gave him a trial in their famous La Masia academy. The green light isn’t a guarantee of success in the game. Even elite prospects fall by the wayside. But even if Bartucci doesn’t make it, he leaves a memorable anecdote behind.
Speaking to Marca ahead of his pre-season with Barcelona’s Juvenil B starting on August 8, Bartucci spoke of who he met before the initial trial that led to the pre-season invite. A certain Lionel Messi. The superstar came up to the teenager specifically and gave him advice to keep his head straight. Such a massive opportunity could have led to nerves undermining his ability.
Messi the Mentor
Bartucci said: “When I first came to Spain I had butterflies in the stomach. Two days before training started I was a bit nervous. But I said to myself ‘relax, do what I know and enjoy it.’
“It was a unique experience and one that won’t be repeated. As the moment [for the trial] approached I trained more. Messi is my idol and he spoke to me and said I should work hard because everything can be achieved with effort and commitment.”
Not a bad person to receive a pep talk from before the biggest moment of your life. Messi’s simple encouragement contributed to Bartucci impressing in the trial and move to the next stage in the process to join Barca.
Who better to break the news than the man himself? The picture at the top of the page is from the moment that Messi invited Bartucci back: “I won’t forget it. “He asked me if I would play at La Masia and I simply said yes.”
