Messi and Pep nearly joined Getafe, says president.

Messi and Pep nearly joined Getafe, says president.

Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola made history together at Barcelona, but Getafe president Angel Torres has revealed the pair could have ended up at the Madrid-based club.

  Guardiola, Messi took his game to new levels and the two men helped the Catalan club to 14 trophies out of a possible 19 between 2008 and 2012 – including a historic sextet in 2009.

But in the Argentine's early years, Barca had considered sending out the talented winger on loan.

"In Messi's first or second year, we had it virtually done for him to come to Getafe on loan," Torres told Marca. "In the end, [coach Frank] Rijkaard didn't accept and we were left disappointed.

"One day, we were at a European draw in Switzerland," he said. "Txiki [Begiristain, Barca's technical secretary at the time] and I, and the idea was that [Michael] Laudrup would coach Barcelona and we would have Guardiola as his substitute.

"Because [Barca president Joan] Laporta wasn't at all convinced about signing Pep at first."