One of them called for his rejection: the story of three reports from La Masia on "the boy Messi's" trial period
He ultimately became the club's all-time top scorer
Lionel Messi dazzled everyone from a young age, but even that precocious gift with the ball at his feet wasn't enough to convince everybody at Barcelona.
Doubts followed him through the door at Camp Nou. He went on to change the club's history forever.
Reports unearthed by journalist Florent Torchut, more than two decades on, are a reminder that the road to greatness started with scepticism.
According to "Mundo Deportivo", the France Football journalist and author of the biography "King Leo" has revealed three assessment reports drawn up by La Masia coaches during the Argentine's first trials at Barcelona, in the autumn of 2000.
Torchut's organisation published the documents, and they lay bare just how differently the Rosario-born 13-year-old was judged when he arrived.
His technique jumped off the page straight away. His height and physical development were another matter entirely, and they raised doubts about whether he could compete at a higher level.
3 different reports on Messi
The first coach raved about Messi's footballing skills and how far ahead of his peers he was technically.
"For his age, he is an extremely complete player technically", the report stated, picking out his sharp vision, his agility, his intelligence, his dribbling and the power in his shooting. It signed off in glowing terms: "Excellent inside the penalty area. His only weakness is his short stature and his lack of physical strength. A great player".
Gloomier reading followed. The second coach accepted the Argentine's technical quality was beyond dispute, but reckoned his physique could prove a serious barrier to his progress.
"His short stature (142 cm) prevents him from competing", the report stated.
He even queried whether Messi could cope in higher age groups if he grew to 150 cm. The verdict left no room for debate: "I do not think he should be signed".
Monitor his development, the coach suggested, then take another look in two years.
The third report tore up that view. Its author had no doubts whatsoever about the young Argentine's potential and urged the club to get the deal done: "In a way, he is (a young) Maradona. I would sign him. He has a lot to offer. We will see how he develops".
Being compared to Diego Armando Maradona at 13 tells you everything about the impression Messi was already leaving.
Three reports, three points of view, one shared conclusion: the technique looked exceptional, the physique looked a gamble.
Messi played 778 official matches for Barcelona, scoring 672 goals and winning 35 titles.
So the boy from Rosario, the one whose body was supposed to hold him back, finished as the club's all-time top scorer and its greatest player ever (according to the Spanish newspaper).
