Spanish club Eldense officially announced on Thursday that Lionel Messi has taken over the club, a historic turning point for the side from Alicante that opens a new chapter in a history spanning more than 100 years.
The club heralded the arrival of "one of the most important figures in the history of sport" to Spanish professional football as its new owner. Messi's entry into the Eldense structure, they confirmed, marks the start of a project built on a "long-term vision".
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This new phase aims to drive the "sporting, institutional and social development of Eldense", helping it keep progressing both on and off the pitch.
Founded in 1921, Eldense now prepares for a fresh chapter under the banner of ambition. The club says its goal is to "establish itself and grow in professional football" while fully preserving its identity.
The Alicante club explained that the project seeks to "highlight its roots, its history and its deep blue-and-red spirit". It ties Messi's arrival to growth and development while safeguarding a legacy spanning more than a century.
The licensing condition
In anofficial statement, Eldense explained that "the deal is still awaiting the required licence from the Higher Sports Council", in line with Spanish sports law.
So despite the club officially announcing Messi's takeover, the process still hinges on securing that licence from the Higher Sports Council, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport".
Once those procedures are complete, the Argentine can officially begin his spell at the helm of Eldense, in a project aiming to "establish itself and grow in professional football".