Former UEFA president Michel Platini has said that he could have been teammates with the late Diego Maradona at Napoli in the 1980s.
The French great was playing for Juventus at the time and Partenopei director Italo Allodi had tried to convince the attacking midfielder to join the southern Italian club but he decided to remain loyal to the Bianconeri.
“It was 1986 and the general manager of Napoli was Allodi, but it is right that a player ends his career where he has made a long journey, like me at Juve and Maradona at Napoli, and I hope it will happen with Lionel Messi at Barcelona,” Platini told Il Messaggero.
The 65-year-old discussed the rivalry between the two players and how it intensified the rivalry between the two clubs.
“Italian journalists called them battles,” Platini said.
“However, he marked a part of my life because for a few years we climbed to the top of the world, a bit like what happens today with Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
“It was a beautiful rivalry, but between two teams and not just between two players. We were two different number 10s, he was more of a forward than me, we could have played together, and we even came close.”
