Del Piero rejects Reds over Heysel

Sydney FC striker Alessandro Del Piero has admitted rejecting an approach from Liverpool out of respect for victims of the Heysel disaster.

Thirty-nine Juventus fans were killed before the start of the 1985 European Cup final at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels - with hundreds injured - after Liverpool fans broke through a fence and caused a wall to collapse.

"The negotiations with Sydney were already at an advanced stage and then I thought about what happened at Heysel," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "Juve and Liverpool have worked hard to mend their relationship, but for a lot of people it's something that can never be forgotten."

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