Can you imagine how things could have panned out for Barcelona if they had chosen to snub Lionel Messi? According to the Argentine ace, that was more than just a possibility.
Speaking in the documentary "Take the ball, pass the ball," Messi shared an insight on his rise to fame, which could have taken place elsewhere if the advice of an unnamed coach had been followed.
"It was truly complicated to sign such a young player from abroad and having to transport him to Barcelona. Charly Rexach was the one who made it happen back in the day," Messi stated.
"After he met with me, he decided they wanted me. Although there was one coach that did not want me around, the decision was supported by most of the team's youth coaches. They were key for my arrival to Barcelona," the player added.
Former scouting chief Carles Rexach reveals how he forced Barcelona's execs to come on board with the idea of signing Messi when he was just 13 years old.
"I succeeded because I wouldn't take no for an answer. They kept telling me to take it easy and try to sign someone else, but I told them that Messi was awesome, that we needed to sign him," Rexach said.
Eventually, Barcelona would land the deal of a lifetime when they decided to pay for Messi's arrival and expenses, including the medical treatment that helped him with his growth problem. The rest, as they say, is history.
