When Darko Pancev signed for Inter Milan in 1992, it wasn’t the only option the striker had. Having built up an excellent goalscoring record with Red Star Belgrade, Pancev had made himself a wanted man and had several offers to move.
Inter Milan won the race and the expectation around Pancev was huge. It was a new era for Inter, as it always seems to be, and Pancev was the man to fire them to glory. Manager Osvaldo Bagnoli didn’t seem to be a huge fan of the player, and Pancev himself struggled to adapt his game to the Italian league.
It went so badly that Pancev was sent on loan to Leipzig, before leaving on a permanent transfer to Fortuna Dusseldorf.
It could all have been very different indeed had the player taken one of the other optiosn open to him, and speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pancev explained: “He was not a bad coach, but was not meant for Inter. But it was the whole situation around me that has led me to despair at not being able to give my best.
“And to think that I had turned down offers from Real, Barça, Manchester United… ”
In all honesty, turning down the three clubs mentioned in favour of Inter would seem almost as strange then as it would now, perhaps Pancev should have known.
