POCH SAW MESSI DEAL SLIP AWAY

CLOSE CALL: Pochettino nearly worked with Messi MAURICIO POCHETTINO has revealed how he could have been managing Lionel Messi if it was not for a twist of fate.

The Tottenham boss, whose side face the Argentine ace and his Barcelona side tomorrow, said the Nou Camp giants were ready to sell Messi when he was 18.

Espanyol, the team Pochettino played for and then coached, were lined up to take the youngster.

But the Spurs chief revealed an amazing display by Messi in a pre-season match against Juventus forced Barca into a dramatic U-turn.

After his performance in the 2005 Joan Gamper Cup, Juve boss Fabio Capello raved: “In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality.”

Pochettino revealed: “He was close to signing for Espanyol, very close. In pre-season Barcelona played Juventus.

Urged

“I was a player at Espanyol. Because he was so fantastic, Capello praised him afterwards.

“They changed their minds. They kept Messi at Barcelona.

“So if you look back in history, maybe if he did not play in the Joan Gamper, maybe today he could have been the biggest star in Espanyol.

“And maybe me, I would still been in Espanyol managing him.”

Pochettino urged his men to make sure they remember facing five-time World Player of the Year Messi in the Champions League at Wembley.

The Argentinian boss came up against the Barca forward when he came off the bench against Espanyol to make his La Liga debut in 2004.

But he confessed he recalled nothing of the momentous moment.

Pochettino said: “Messi would start to become a great player.

“But when he made his debut, it was just another youngster that arrived into the Barcelona team from the academy.

“I am not going to try to find a solution to stopping Messi on Wednesday.

“I am going to say to the players to enjoy playing against Messi because you are going to play against one of the best players in history.”

The former centre-back enjoys being reminded about how he faced Messi, Maradona and Ronaldo.

He added: “For your ego, it’s a thing that you are going to tell your kids and grandkids.

“Sometimes, my kids say to me, ‘Ah, you played with Maradona’. And they are so proud.”