Del Piero claims Reds rejection

Italian World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero claims he rejected a summer switch to Liverpool before joining Sydney FC.

The veteran striker was a free agent in the summer after seeing his deal with Serie A champions Juventus come to an end, having spent nearly 20 years with the Turin side.
Del Piero raised a few eyebrows when he decided to join Australian outfit Sydney and the 37-year-old claims he had the chance to join Liverpool.
However, the veteran striker felt it would be inappropriate to join the Reds, given his association with Juve and due to the 1985 Heysel tragedy, despite both clubs now enjoying a good relationship.
"Why I said no to Liverpool? The negotiations with Sydney were at an advanced stage and then I thought about what had happened at Heysel," Del Piero told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Juventus and Liverpool have been able to reconstruct their relationship but for many people that tragedy is an indelible memory."
He added: "I wasn't after the best financial offer and I'd already won everything as a player. I didn't need to play in the Champions League again."