Genoa president Enrico Preziosi has made the shocking revelation that he turned down signing Lionel Messi just months before he joined Barcelona.
The entertainment tycoon has named turning down the chance to bring the world star to Serie A in 2002 as one of his greatest regrets to this day, an opportunity that came around right after his side Como achieved promotion from Serie B.
“If I could go back in time, then I would go back to be the president who brought Messi to Italian football,” Preziosi revealed in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“When I was in charge of Como I was told that I could sign this 14-year-old boy for only €45 thousand.
“However, all the players that we wanted back then were at least 20 years old. Above all I considered him to be a little boy with growth problems.
“That was the big mistake that everyone made, except of course Barcelona. Players shouldn’t be judged on their height and weight, but in fact how they perform on the pitch.
Deciding to conclude on a lighter note, Preziosi joked about how he would really spend his time should he be able to return to the past.
“Although if a time machine actually existed then I’d use it to go back to to the Middle Ages instead; I’d be quite a noble man, maybe a duke, due to all the glitz and glamour that it would bring me.”
