It's rumoured that one of the reasons that Cristian Tello ended up leaving Barcelona was his personal relationship with Leo Messi.
Back in the day, right after one of Barcelona's league games, TV experts in Spain decoded Messi's words towards Tello after an unsuccessful attack.
"What are you doin'?" You're no one. You're here just to pass the ball to me," the Argentine reportedly said.
The following summer, Cristian was loaned out to Porto and Fiorentina before finally leaving the club for Real Betis on a permanent deal in 2017.
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Messi: 'Tito was the first person who had faith in me because at the time, I was a substitute or didn't play'
"I have known him (Tito) since I was a kid," Lionel Messi said of Tito Vilanova in an interview with El Pais in 2012.
"Tito was the first person who had faith in me because at the time, I was a substitute or didn't play, and he was the one who made me starter in the Under-16 category."
After winning every major trophy with Barcelona in four years as Pep Guardiola's assistant, Vilanova succeeded the latter in the Camp Nou dugout in 2012.
Tito claimed the La Liga title in his only season at the helm of the Catalans while suffering from parotid gland cancer for the second time. Vilanova passed away on April 25, 2014, almost one year after resigning from Barca.
Tito Vilanova 'convinced Messi to stay' 6 days before death – Leo later opened up on the talk
It's been exactly 7 years since we're without Tito Vilanova.
In 2019, Tito's former assistant manager Jordi Roura supposed that Messi and Vilanova were talking about Leo's future in their last private chat.
"It occurred when Tito was at a delicate moment and it is true that, at that time, Leo was not clear about staying. They met and even though I wasn't there, I know they spent a lot of time talking," Roura told Radio Kanal Barcelona.
"From there, Leo changed his approach and saw something that he had not seen so clearly. I don't know what they spoke about, but Leo decided to stay and we hope he will be here for many years," he added.
Later, Messi himself said a few words about that talk - not revealing any details.
"We had many conversations, but we always talked about football and what happened in the games or what could happen. The most special was the last one because it was a farewell too."
Tito Vilanova won the 2012/13 La Liga by a record point margin while suffering from cancer. Tito passed away on April 25, 2014.
