Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has received his own personal tribute section in the stadium of an elite European rival.

The shirt of the Argentine maestro now hangs with other memorabilia in the Allianz Stadium of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Messi’s shirt, hanging proudly in a special cabinet, is the only non-Bayern related piece of football history in the club museum.

The reasoning behind all this centres around Messi’s breaking of a famous record, formerly held by Bayern club legend Gerd Muller.

In 2012 Barca talisman Messi scored 91 goals in a calendar year, surpassing Muller’s previous record of 85 goals set back in 1972.

After breaking the record of the iconic German forward Messi decided to send his match shirt to Muller himself, along with an accompanying message.

Signing the number on the back of his shirt, Messi wrote: ‘For Gerd Müller / My respect and admiration / A hug, Leo.’

Rather than keep the kind gesture for himself, 72-year-old Muller opted to send it on to his former club in order for it to hang in the famous stadium.

Messi’s shirt came accompanied with a letter from Barca president Sandro Rossell, addressing a message to Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: ‘In recognition of the player and person that is Gerd Müller.

‘The esteem and admiration our club feels for Bayern and it’s fans is demonstrated once again in the historical tie between these two great players who have become sporting legends of our clubs’ Rosell added in the letter.

Source: 9sportpro.com