When Hierro tried to sign a legend for Real Madrid: What are you doing at Lazio? Real Madrid Was in the early 2000s

Former Real Madrid centre-back Fernando Hierro attempted to bring Alessandro Nesta, one of Italian football's stars, to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the early 2000s, however the defender opted to stay at Lazio.

The Spaniard looked to try and encourage Nesta to come to Real Madrid after a friendly between the two teams.

"I didn't want to leave Lazio for any reason; at that time, I didn't want to go anywhere [else]," Nesta said during an Instagram Live video with former Atletico Madrid striker Christian Vieri.

"We once played a friendly in Spain against Real Madrid.

"At the end of the match, Fernando Hierro came to the bus area and told me, 'you have to come to Real Madrid - what are you doing at Lazio?'

"I said, 'you're crazy, I play at Lazio.'

"And he looked at me and must have thought I was crazy."

Nesta, who was born in Rome and is a Lazio fan, told this anecdote to explain the commitment he had in that period of time for the Biancocelesti.

However, the deep economic crisis suffered by the club, who at that time were owned by Sergio Cragnotti, led to his sale to AC Milan in 2002 in an attempt to settle the financial accounts.

"Then everything happened, a crisis so big that I was sold to Milan," Nesta commented.

"And, in the end, I'm grateful because Milan allowed me to impose myself in Europe too; we did great things."

Nesta, who is now 44 years old and the coach of Frosinone in Serie B, won two Champions League trophies with Milan, as well as the World Cup with Italy in 2006.