Legendary former AC Milan defender Franco Baresi has revealed that he could have joined his former club’s city rivals instead had circumstances been different.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport’s SportWeek magazine in an interview published in this week’s print edition, the 61-year-old explained that the Nerazzurri had been following him but that he never went on trial there and instead joined their city rivals.

Baresi has gone down as one of the Rossoneri’s most widely lauded and iconic players, while his brother Giuseppe also had a long and successful career with Inter on the other side of the city.

However, the brothers could have played together had circumstances been different, as Franco revealed that the Nerazzurri had had a serious interest in him even though it never amounted to anything further due to the unfortunate reason that the scout who had been watching him passed away.

“Inter followed me, but I never went on trial because the scout who had reported me passed away and I was never called up,” he explained. “Instead I went to Linate to try out for Milan, who then summoned me to Milanello for the definitive test, after which they signed me. I’ve always been a fan of Milan.”