Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello has revealed that he tried to sign Barcelona's Lionel Messi during his spell in Turin.
The Argentine superstar, 27, is gearing up for a Champions League final with the Bianconeri in Berlin on Saturday as he looks to pick up his fourth European title.
Messi, a four-time Ballon d'Or winner, dazzled in a friendly against Capello's Juventus 10 years ago, and the Italian admits that he tried to sign him directly afterwards.
"I've never seen anything like him as a 16 year-old," he told The Mirror.
"At the end of the match I went to [Frank] Rijkaard (the then-Barcelona manager) to say they already had three foreigners in the squad, they should release one!
"I wanted to sign Messi. I tried to buy him, but Barca wouldn't sell."
Capello managed the Italian giants from 2004 until 2006.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
