Barcelona star Sergio Aguero explains why he rejected Lionel Messi’s No.10 shirt

Barcelona star Sergio Aguero explains why he rejected Lionel Messi’s No.10 shirt

Metro.co.uk - Sport·2021-09-07 17:00

Sergio Aguero will wear the No.19 shirt this season (Picture: Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Sergio Aguero has revealed he didn’t take the No.10 shirt at Barcelona ‘out of respect’ to Lionel Messi.

The former Manchester City forward penned a two-year deal with the La Liga giants at the end of the May in the hope of lining up alongside his fellow countryman.

But few could have predicted the events that would then unfold with Messi leaving a few weeks later, signing for PSG after Barca were unable to renew his contract.

That meant Messi’s coveted No.10 shirt became available but Aguero, who will wear the No.19 shirt for the Catalan club, has explained why he didn’t take his friend’s jersey.

‘Refusing to wear the number 10 shirt at Barcelona?’ he told Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos.

‘It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but it was out of respect for Messi.’

Lionel Messi made the No.10 shirt his own at Barcelona (Picture: Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Aguero has not yet made his Barca debut after picking up an injury in training but is due to return in October.

After Aguero chose not to take Messi’s No.10 shirt, the club confirmed teenage star Ansu Fati as the new owner of the prestigious shirt number.

The club confirmed in a statement: ‘Ansu Fati has a new shirt number.

Un 🔟 hecho en La Masia⭐️ @ANSUFATI ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/UTwlSfjRds

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) September 1, 2021

‘After wearing the No 22 then No 17, the young Barca striker will proudly wear the number 10 shirt – a famous jersey previously worn by legends such as Leo Messi, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.

‘Despite being just 18 years of age and still recovering from injury, Ansu Fati forms part of Barca’s history as a record breaker and also with the Spanish national side.

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‘Since his debut in August 2019, the youngster has set records in the league and Champions League.

‘Just six days after his debut for the first team he became the youngest ever player to score in the league for FC Barcelona. He is a record breaker who will now wear the magical No 10 shirt.’

As for Messi, he’s taken up the No.30 shirt at PSG – the forward wore the number when he made his Barcelona debut more than two decades ago.

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