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Soccer Aid star Alessandro Del Piero claimed he rejected Liverpool transfer
Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero claims he rejected an approach from Liverpool towards the end of his career. Del Piero made over 700 appearances in almost 20 years at Juventus before spells in Australia and India.
He joined Sydney FC at the age of 37 in 2012 but claimed that Liverpool had made a late bid for his signature under Brendan Rodgers. Del Piero suggested he snubbed the move out of respect of the victims of the Heysel disaster.
As many as 39 Juventus supporters died and hundreds more were injured before the start of the European Cup final in Brussels in 1985.
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Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Del Piero said: "The negotiations with Sydney were already at an advanced stage and then I thought about what happened at Heysel. Juve and Liverpool have worked hard to mend their relationship, but for a lot of people it's something that can never be forgotten.
"I wasn't interested in money. I've won everything there is to win so another Champions League campaign would have done nothing for me. Above all I just want to play football."
Del Piero, who is in action for the World XI at Soccer Aid on Sunday, spent two seasons with Sydney but Liverpool insisted he was never considered for a move. The Daily Mail reported that Liverpool had never spoken to the player or his representatives.
The 49-year-old has now suggested he almost made moves to Manchester United and Newcastle during his career and would have relished the opportunity to play in the Premier League.
Asked if he ever nearly moved to England he told talkSPORT: "It happened with United and Newcastle. Every time that I came to play here it was a great atmosphere. Of course I would have loved to have had the chance to play here.
"It didn’t happen in the end because I was captain of Juve and happy at Juve and for me it was everything. I was a Juventus fan from the beginning when I was a young kid."
