Argentine footballer Lionel Messi has acquired UE Cornellà, a Catalan club in Tercera RFEF fighting for promotion. The purchase strengthens his ties to Barcelona and commitment to youth football in Catalonia. The team, renowned for its strong academy, sits third in the league.
Lionel Messi announced on Thursday, via a statement, that he has become the owner of UE Cornellà, a club from a municipality of about 92,000 inhabitants near Barcelona. The team, founded in 1951, is third in Tercera RFEF with four matches left, in playoff position and five points behind leader Manresa.
“With this operation, Messi reinforces his close relationship with Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia,” states the note from his representatives. Messi, who still owns a property in Castelldefels, is interested in football's business side rather than coaching and previously declined Gerard Piqué's offer to invest in FC Andorra.
UE Cornellà is renowned for its youth academy, which has produced players like Jordi Alba, David Raya (now at Arsenal and Spain national team), Aitor Ruibal (Real Betis captain), Gerard Martín and others. “The arrival of Leo Messi opens a new stage in the club's history, aiming to boost its sports and institutional growth,” the club statement reads.
The purchase follows a trend of footballers investing in clubs, such as Piqué with Andorra, Jordi Alba and Thiago Alcántara with L’Hospitalet, or Cristiano Ronaldo's recent 25% stake in Almería.
