The two young Argentinians would stand at the back of the VIP section, conspicuous because they were among the only clubbers not dancing. It was 2006 and Lionel Messi and Pablo Zabaleta were regulars at the Sundown Session at Barcelona’s Pacha nightclub, a goal kick away from Camp Nou. The club has since closed, but it was hugely popular with players then.
Clubbing with Catalonia’s beautiful people at 6pm on a Sunday was not always possible, since it clashed with their day jobs as professional footballers at Barcelona and Espanyol, but Messi and Zabaleta became close friends.
They had become mates over cups of mate – a traditional South American brew – the previous summer as teammates in Argentina’s Under 20 side, who became world champions in Holland. Messi was the tournament’s top-scorer with six goals in seven games, while Zabaleta scored three times as a midfielder, more than future City teammate Sergio Aguero.
Barca knew they had a potential star in their cantera, but maybe the speed with which club president Joan Laporta hot-footed it to Holland to improve Messi’s contract illustrates that they realised just how good he was.
Zabaleta had a much lower profile. Messi was almost the only person he knew in Barcelona when he arrived from San Lorenzo in 2005, but he was a shrewd €3 million (Dh15.1m) signing. Though he joined a day before Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed took control of the club in 2008, Manchester City fans consider the £6.45 million (Dh39.6m) paid for Zabaleta to be among their best signings. He kept in touch with Messi throughout his time at Manchester.
Though not tempted to leave Camp Nou for Manchester, like Yaya Toure and senior officials Txiki Begiristain, Ferran Soriano, plus finance director Jorge Chumillas, City’s new wealth intrigued Messi and he asked journalists about it off the record. As well as Zabaleta, compatriot Carlos Tevez played at City.
Yet while City neighbours United and Barca have been drawn together seven times in competition, including three European finals, Tuesday night is the first meeting between City and Barcelona.
Messi was injured when the draw was made in December and fans were concerned about Barca’s performances. One newspaper, which was not taken with the tactics under new manager Gerardo Martino, ran a front page reading, “This Is Not Our Barca”.
With Neymar also out for a month, many Barca fans considered City to be favourites, though having Messi back at the top of his game was always likely to make them reconsider those views.
Alexis Sanchez, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro performed well in Messi’s absence and they stayed at the top of the league, but they are not Messi. That said, Messi has been accused of not being Messi this season, too.
Injuries have hampered his season and he did not score a single league goal in October, November, December or January, though he has managed 27 goals in all competitions. He is refreshed from his rest in Argentina’s winter sun ahead of the World Cup finals in June.
More importantly, Messi has found form. He was excellent in last week’s Copa de Rey semi-final second-leg victory against Real Sociedad, which set up an April Copa Del Rey final against Real Madrid in Valencia.
He played well, too, in Barca’s 6-0 triumph against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, where Neymar also saw his first action in a month following an ankle injury.
Messi scored twice, taking him past Alfredo di Stefano as the fourth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Primera Liga and joint-third with another Madrid legend, Raul. Still only 26, there is much more to come from Messi.
When he met Zabaleta nine years ago, Messi had managed one goal for Barca. He has racked up 336 since.
Barca fans hope he will add to that tally on Tuesday when he comes up against his old mate in the shadow of a former east Manchester gasworks tower.
It is not Pacha, but they will still be the centre of attention.
sports@thenational.ae
