Italian football legend Roberto Baggio has said that he wanted to stay at Fiorentina instead of being sold to Serie A rivals Juventus in 1990.
The 54-year-old reflected on many moments throughout his career including his transfer to the Bianconeri, which was a world record at the time.
“I had nothing against Juventus, but I wanted to stay at Fiorentina,” Baggio said to Revista Libero.
“There were people there who had been waiting for me after spending the first two years with injuries. We fell in love with each other. I promised I would stay.
“The Viola board, in truth, was not correct because he would have sold me without telling me anything. Then this was done, blaming the player saying he was a mercenary. All lies.
“I’ve always liked challenges. In fact, I conceive life as a continuous challenge, with a degree of culture that grows, which increases while we are more and more prepared to face them. In this sense, Juve was obviously a challenge.”