Lionel Messi’s former club, Newell’s Old Boys, have made the player a special offer to be their guest of honour at their league clash against San Lorenzo on Thursday night.
Messi and his family are currently on vacation in Funes, Santa Fe - about 15km west from downtown Rosario, the home city of the 34-year-old. Messi is a boyhood fan of Newell’s Old Boys and, after the death of Diego Maradona last season, the star paid tribute to his idol with a Newell’s shirt after netting for Barcelona.
Maradona had a brief stint at Newell's towards the end of his playing career, while Messi spent six years there as a youngster before joining Barcelona's famed La Masia youth academy. Messi has previously spoken about his memories of watching Maradona play for Newell's, telling TyC Sports in 2013 that he was in the stadium for Maradona's debut in 1993. "I don't remember much, I was very young," Messi reflected. "But I saw Maradona on the pitch the day he made his debut against [Ecuadorian club] Emelec."
