Lionel Messi nearly signed for Getafe on loan from Barcelona as a youngster, claims Spanish minnows’ president… and he says they just missed out on snatching Pep Guardiola away from the Nou Camp too!
- Getafe chief claims a deal was close to being complete to sign Lionel Messi
- But a move for the then 17-year-old was blocked by manager Frank Rijkaard
- Spanish minnows also tried to hand Pep Guardiola his first managerial role
- Despite talks, Barca opted to hand current Man City boss his big break instead
Getafe’s president has claimed he was tantalisingly close to signing Lionel Messi on loan from Barcelona at the start of his senior career.
Messi broke into the Barca team as a 17-year-old under Frank Rijkaard during the 2004-05 season and has since gone on to become a club legend as well as being renowned as one of the world’s greatest players.
But following Messi’s first small steps at the Nou Camp, Getafe chief Angel Torres claimed he had held discussions with then Barca sporing director Txiki Begiristain over bringing him to his side to help him gain first-team experience, only for Rijkaard to block the move.
Getafe have claimed they nearly signed Lionel Messi from Barcelona when he was 17-years-old
‘In Messi’s first or second year [in the first team], we came really close to bringing him to Getafe on loan,’ Torres told Marca .
‘In the end, [then manager Frank] Rijkaard didn’t agree to it and we were left with just our desire.’
It seems Torres’ eye for talent stretched to the dugout too as when looking for a new manager to replace the outgoing Michael Laudrup, who was linked with Barca before joining Spartak Moscow.
Messi made his debut during the 2004-05 season but any loan move to Getafe was blocked by his then manager Frank Rijkaard (right)
Getafe chief Angel Torres has been left to reflect on just missing out on signing Messi
Torres claims discussions were again held with Barca, with whom he holds good relations with the board.
But they were left short again when Barca appointed Guardiola to replace Rijkaard, despite president Joan Laporta being uncertain with the current Manchester City boss who back then had no senior managerial experience.
‘One day, [Barcelona sporting director] Txiki [Begiristain] was at a European draw in Switzerland and the idea was that Laudrup would go to Barcelona and we would get Guardiola as a replacement because, to start with, Laporta wasn’t convinced by Pep at all,’ Torres added.
Four years later in 2008, Getafe also had an approach for Pep Guardiola turned down
