Former Italy star was offered to join Messi's Barcelona
Former Fiorentina and Italy star Giuseppe Rossi reveals he was offered a chance to join Barcelona and form a three-man attack with Lionel Messi and David Villa.
Rossi was one of the most exciting Italian strikers of his generation, but recurring knee injuries severely affected his career and often forced him to the sidelines to treat serious fitness issues.
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His performances massively impacted sports betting picks, especially during his time in Spain, where he played for Celta Vigo, Levante and Villarreal, scoring 64 goals in 171 games in La Liga.
A former Fiorentina striker, Rossi scored seven goals in 30 appearances with the Italy national team, and also played for Parma and Genoa in Serie A, netting 26 times in 62 games in Italy's top flight.
The ex-Italian striker experienced several sliding door moments in his career and discussed some of them in his latest interview with Radio TV Serie A.
FLORENCE – MARCH 22: Giuseppe Rossi during Pepito Day at Stadio Artemio Franchi on March 22, 2025 in Florence. Pepito Day is special event dedicated to Giuseppe Rossi, affectionately nicknamed 'Pepito'. This day will mark the farewell to football of the Italian-American striker, famous for his career at clubs such as Fiorentina, Villarreal and Manchester United, as well as for his appearances for the Italian national team. (Photo by)
'Guardiola's Barcelona wanted me; of course, Leo Messi was a key figure. They said every player who joined Barcelona had to be approved by him, but I don't know if that was true,' Rossi said via TMW.
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'I know that they saw me as part of a front three with Messi and David Villa, which tells you what kind of season I had [2010-11]. The deal didn't go through because Villarreal wanted more guaranteed money rather than bonuses. Everything fell apart. I could have played for one of the strongest teams in football's history.'
Rossi had another chance to leave Villarreal that summer, with an offer from Juventus. The Bianconeri had just appointed Antonio Conte to replace Luigi Delneri after a disappointing season and would go on to win the title in that campaign.
'There was a big chance. They offered me a great contract,' Rossi said.
'I spoke to Conte and [ex-Juventus CEO] Beppe Marotta. They saw me as Alessandro Del Piero's successor. I hesitated at first because I wasn't convinced it was truly the great Juventus of the past, but it wasn't an offer I could turn down.
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'I told Villarreal I wanted to leave, but the club blocked my exit because they had already sold several big names, and they wanted to make a good impression in the Champions League.
'They told me: 'This is the contract. Just tell us how much you want to stay.' In that sense, it was a nice moment.'
Rossi retired in 2023 but only recently played his farewell game, which was attended by some Fiorentina and Serie A legends, including Gabriel Batistuta and Luca Toni.
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