Mike Piazza interested in buying Italian club Parma

Former major league slugger Mike Piazza reportedly is eyeing the purchase of the Italian soccer club Parma.

"Yes, I was at Parma. And I'm interested, though I can't say that it will go through," Piazza told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Unable to meet its payroll and tax obligations, the club -- which finished at the bottom of the Serie A standings and has been relegated to Serie B -- declared bankruptcy in March.

Because Parma is insolvent, Piazza likely would be able to purchase the club at a discount, while guaranteeing part of its debt.

Piazza often tweets about his love of soccer. He attended the World Cup in Brazil last summer. He also has maintained ties to his family's homeland. For example, he has served as the hitting coach for Italy's World Baseball Classic teams.

Piazza, the all-time home run leader among major league catchers, starred for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared on 69.9 percent of Hall of Fame ballots in voting results announced in January -- approaching the 75 percent threshold for election.

ESPNFC.com's Gabriel Marcotti contributed to this report.