Moratti claims Inter tried to sign Messi, Iniesta and were offered Totti from Roma | OneFootball

Former Inter owner Massimo Moratti claims that the Nerazzurri tried to sign Andres Iniesta from Barcelona during his tenure, scouted Lionel Messi at the U18 World Cup, and that the Nerazzurri were offered a chance to sign the legendary Francesco Totti from his beloved Roma.

The former Nerazzurri patron gave an interview to Corriere della Sera, published on Tuesday, on what is the 30th anniversary of his takeover of the club.

Moratti began his interview with a brief assessment of Inter’s recent 1-0 loss to Juventus in the Derby d’Italia. He feels that too much pressure was put on the captain, Lautaro Martinez.

“Too many wasted chances and too much pressure on poor Lautaro, too much, it’s bad. But listen, I love Motta, as well as everyone from the treble. They’re like additional children,” Moratti told Corriere della Sera.

FC Internazionale Milano new president Milano Erick Thohir and honorary president Massimo Moratti (R) attend a press conference after the FC Internazionale Milano shareholders’ meeting on November 15, 2013 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

The first major signing of Moratti’s reign was Javier Zanetti, who now serves as the club’s vice-President.

Moratti revealed that Inter landed on Zanetti while trying to scout another player in the Argentine division.

“I used to watch videos of the Argentine league with my children. We started following (Ariel) Ortega. But watching him, I saw one of the games where this Zanetti guy played. I sent Suarez to Argentina to watch him up close,” the former owner explained.

“One night, nighttime in Milan – it was daytime there, Suarez called to ask me if we should proceed with the purchase. I told him to be patient. I ran to wake up the kids, I had to watch the video tapes of Zanetti one last time. I gave the green light.”

Moratti on Inter approaches for Messi and Iniesta

Andres Iniesta of Barcelona during the La Match between Valencia and Barcelona at Estadio Mestalla on October 17, 2009 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Asked if there was any players that Inter had tried to sign who he regrets missing out on, Moratti replied: “Iniesta. We were in a phase where we had enormous appeal and economic power. I’m not saying that we could have bought anyone, but almost.

“Well, we tried with Barcelona, we tried in every way with diplomatic approaches on multiple fronts, with mediators, going personally, trying to start negotiations that would be in our favour.

“There was no way. They would have sold anyone but Iniesta. We could have made a crazy type of offer, but we still would have gone back to Milan alone.”

He also explained how the signing of Ronaldo came about in 1997.

“As a good Brazilian lad, he loved being followed, he was flattered. We did nothing but speak on the phone, a thousand times every day. First he said ‘yes, I’ll sign’ and then ‘no, I have to think about it, then ‘yes, I’ll sign’, ‘no, I won’t’ and so on.”

Then he revealed that Inter had looked at the possibility of signing a teenage Messi, but admitted that the Nerazzurri could not offer him the same as Barcelona.

“We followed him at the U18 World Cup. We were about to buy him, but when I heard what Barcelona were doing for his health problems, I let it go, I swear.”

Lionel Messi of Argentina plays with a ball during a training session at the Adi-Dassler Sports Field on June 27, 2006 in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Argentina plays Germany in a quarterfinal match on June 30, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Jan Pitman/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Moratti on Inter being offered Totti by Roma

Moratti also claimed that Inter had been offered the chance to sign Totti from a financially-struggling Roma.

“The ownership at Roma then was full of debts, full of them. The President was so desperate that he went as far as offering me Totti. Crying,” he said.

“Totti might have chosen to stay in Rome anyway, but even so we decided at Inter to leave him alone. It’s a football thing, sentimental things.”