Messi used to be so small I didn't think he could make it, says former agent

28-Dec-2012 10:30:00 PM

The former representative of the Argentine attacker has reflected on his first encounter with the player, and told the story of how the Ballon d'Or holder ended up in Spain

Horacio Gaggioli, who acted as Lionel Messi's agent until 2005, has stated that he did not think much of the Barcelona attacker's chances to become a top player when he first saw him.

The representative revealed that his first impression of the Argentine did not give him much confidence, but was happy that the Ballon d'Or holder managed to prove him wrong and become one of the best footballers in the history of the game.

"When I saw Leo get off the plane I was left with my mouth open. I thought I was in trouble for doing all this for a boy who was so short and thin," Gaggioli told XL Semenal.

"Some associates of mine saw Leo in Argentina when he was an 11-year-old. They said he was very good and I wanted him to come to Spain.

"However, I had to find a team with very specific characteristics, a city where he could continue his hormone growth treatment, which was expensive."

Meanwhile, veteran Juan Sebastian Veron shared a story of the only time he saw Messi uneasy and uncomfortable.

"I only saw him nervous once, and that was before the Greece game when [Diego] Maradona offered him the captaincy.

"It was the responsibility of the leadership that made him uncomfortable, as he realised he had to give a speech to his team-mates."