Mauro Camoranesi reveals Juventus almost signed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. “Fabio Capello had already seen his potential” in 2005.
The two clubs are due to face off in the Champions League quarter-finals next month.
“Capello had already seen Messi’s potential, but we hadn’t,” former Juve star Camoranesi told Goal.com.
Mauro Camoranesi reveals Juventus almost signed Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. “Fabio Capello had already seen his potential” in 2005.
The two clubs are due to face off in the Champions League quarter-finals next month.
“Capello had already seen Messi’s potential, but we hadn’t,” former Juve star Camoranesi told Goal.com.
“He had identified him as a player who was different, telling us he’d go on to become one of the best in the world. Capello always told us that we should wait for him to really make his mark before buying him, even if that meant spending more than expected.
“Serie A at that time was much more competitive, the best league in the world.”
Juve’s plans were ruined when the Calciopoli scandal hit in the summer of 2006, seeing the club demoted to Serie B.
“I think that if Juventus had stayed in Serie A and signed Messi, we would’ve won the Champions League. I have no doubts.
“Messi might not have won the same titles at Juve as with Barcelona, but on an individual level he’d have won the same trophies.”