Barcelona's former director of football Eric Abidal has admitted the club were interested in appointing Mauricio Pochettino as manager in the past.
But he claimed that a previous joke the ex-Tottenham boss made at the Catalan giant's expense may have cost him the opportunity.
Pochettino previously played for and managed Barcelona's local rivals Espanyol, and while he was still in charge at Tottenham he was asked about rumours linking him with the top job at the Nou Camp.
However, he replied by saying he would rather work on a farm in Argentina than "in some places", referring to the loyalty he felt towards Espanyol.
And speaking in an interview with The Telegraph Abidal, who was in favour of targeting Pochettino, revealed Barca's old president Josep Bartomeu was far from impressed with Pochettino's response.
"I knew there was a political problem because I gave my argument to the board and some answers were focused on Espanyol and not on the technical part,” said Abidal.
“And I think he did an interview many years ago, I will not say he talked bad about the club, he said something about going to Argentina first before he will train Barcelona.
"This was a problem for some people’s egos and they said ‘no because he’s not respecting the club.'"
Pochettino is now impressing at Paris Saint-Germain having taken the job at Parc des Princes in January.
And Abidal is clearly full of admiration for the man after lifting the lid on talks they held in the past.
He added: "I told the board ‘I have to bring the best coach we can in the market. I’m not here for politics because he was before in Espanyol’.
"For me, it’s not politics. I wanted the best and Pochettino is one of the best in our game.
"He reached the Champions League final with Tottenham, you have to respect this, he has a good philosophy of playing, a good philosophy of training, players love him and I think he would be a better coach now for this situation, but with a real project.”
