José Saturnino Cardozo admits he almost joined América in 1999 | OneFootball

América have always attempted to bring some of North and South America’s best footballers to Liga MX since they are a club always obliged to win everything.

However, despite their enormous reputation, they have still managed to let some players slip through their fingers.

One of those players was Toluca legend and former Chivas boss José Saturnino Cardozo, who recently admitted that América made in approach for him in 1999.

“I had an approach in 1999, when Hugo Enrique Kiesse was in charge. They approached me after the Copa América in Paraguay.

“I did not have a contract at that time, so there was this approach. They wanted me to go along from Toluca with Fabián Estay. He left (for América), I stayed.

“I’m not sorry, the decision was ultimately made by me to follow, along with the board, which at that time had no interest in selling me.

“One more reason the move didn’t go through was because of my love for the institution. They brought me in when I was injured.

“Forgetting that would be very ungrateful on my part. Everything the directive did, arriving injured, putting up with me for two years.

“Just because they gave me 100 pesos more in those times, leaving Toluca would have been very irresponsible on my part.”

If he had signed for the Eagles in 1999, he would have been paired with Cuauhtémoc Blanco, which would have undoubtedly been one of the most prolific duos in Liga MX history.