Some of the greatest players to have ever kicked a football have had the honour of donning the fabled Barcelona jersey.
However, amidst Barcelona’s rich history of star signings, there have also been several missed opportunities and near-misses in the transfer market that could have reshaped the club’s narrative.
One of the greatest goalkeepers to have left their mark in football history is Peter Cech, who claims to have been whiskers away from joining the Catalan outfit back in 2003.
Cech was on the brink of joining Barcelona
Chelsea and Arsenal legend Petr Cech is a member of the Premier League Hall of Fame, but his story could have been vastly different had Joan Laporta not won the presidential elections in 2003.
Indeed, as per the legendary goalkeeper, Laporta’s presidential rival at the time, Lluis Bassat, pledged to sign Cech in the event he won the elections.
“If Laporta had not won the 2003 elections, I would have signed for Barça. When Bassat lost, my agent told me: ‘tough luck, you’re not signing for Barcelona,” Cech exclaimed (h/t SPORT).
With Joan Laporta receiving 27,138 votes (52.6%) in the 2003 elections, Cech’s dream of playing for Barcelona could not materialize.
Still, while he was unable to play for the Blaugranes, his adventures across Europe saw him face off against Barcelona in the Champions League with both Chelsea and Arsenal.
According to the Chelsea legend, during his adolescent years, his allegiance always gravitated towards Barcelona.
“Playing against Barça at Camp Nou is a special moment for any footballer. When I was 13 or 14 years old, my favorite club was always Barça.
“They had Stoichkov, Romario, Koeman, and Zubizarreta in goal. It was my childhood dream, so playing them was special,” he stated.
