Liverpool: Graeme Souness rejected Barcelona to join Sampdoria
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness explains why he turned down a move to Barcelona in 1984 to join Italian club Sampdoria. He cites personal reasons and the prestige of the Italian league at the time as the primary drivers for his decision.
Why it matters
It provides historical context on the career trajectory of a legendary footballer and the shifting landscape of European club football in the 1980s.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Graeme Souness lifted Liverpool's fourth European Cup against Roma in 1984
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has revealed he rejected the chance to sign for Barcelona when he left the European champions in 1984.
The Scotland midfielder joined Italian club Sampdoria for £650,000 just weeks after lifting Liverpool's fourth European Cup against Roma.
Souness was then one of the world's finest midfielders - he finished sixth in that year's Ballon d'Or - so his decision to swap Anfield for Genoa, rather than one of Europe's heavyweights, was a surprise.
"I had to leave Liverpool because my wife at the time was about to inherit money and she had to spend three years out of the country," Souness told BBC Scotland's The Saturday Show.
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