Roberto Baggio

italian former professional football player
“ The Divine Ponytail ” redirects here. For the biographic film, see Baggio : The Divine Ponytail
Roberto Baggio ( italian pronunciation : [ roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo ] ; born 18 February 1967 ) is an italian former professional football player who chiefly played as a second hitter, or as an attacking midfielder, although he was capable of playing in several unsavory positions. [ 5 ] He is the former president of the technical sector of the italian Football Federation. A technically gifted creative playmaker and set patch specialist, renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Baggio is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. [ niobium 1 ] In 1999, he came fourthly in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, [ 20 ] and was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. [ 21 ] In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the class and won the Ballon d’Or. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100, a list of the earth ‘s greatest know players. [ 22 ]

Reading: Roberto Baggio

Baggio played for Italy in 56 matches, scoring 27 goals, and is the roast fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team, aboard Alessandro Del Piero. He starred in the italian team that finished third base in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, scoring doubly. At the 1994 World Cup, he led Italy to the final, scoring five goals, received the World Cup Silver Ball and was named in the World Cup All-Star Team. Although he was the headliner performer for Italy at the tournament, he missed the critical penalty in the gunfight of the final against Brazil. [ 7 ] At the 1998 World Cup, he scored twice ahead Italy were eliminated by eventual champions France in the quarter-finals. Baggio is the only italian to score in three World Cups, and with nine goals holds the record for most goals scored in World Cup tournaments for Italy, along with Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri. [ 23 ] In 2002, Baggio became the first italian player in over 50 years to score more than 300 career goals ; he is the fifth-highest score italian in all competitions with 318 goals. In 2004, during the final season of his career, Baggio became the foremost player in over 30 years to score 200 goals in Serie A, and is the seventh-highest goalscorer of all meter in Serie A, with 205 goals. [ 24 ] In 1990, he moved from Fiorentina to Juventus for a global record transfer fee. [ 25 ] Baggio won two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and a UEFA Cup, playing for seven unlike italian club during his career ( Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan, and Brescia ). Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino ( “ The Divine Ponytail “ ), for the hairdo he wore for most of his career, for his talent, and for his Buddhist belief. [ 26 ] In 2002, Baggio was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2003, he was the inaugural address winner of the Golden Foot award. In recognition of his human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2010. In 2011, he was the first football player to be inducted into the italian Football Hall of Fame .Throughout his career, including friendlies, Baggio scored 425 goals. [ 27 ]

early life [edit ]

Roberto Baggio was born in Caldogno, Veneto, the son of Matilde and Florindo Baggio, the one-sixth of eight siblings. His unseasoned buddy, Eddy Baggio, was besides a football player who played 86 matches in Serie B. [ 28 ]

Club career [edit ]

1982–1985 : Vicenza [edit ]

Baggio began his youth career after being noticed by his hometown young team, Caldogno, at age nine. By the time he turned 11, he had scored 45 goals and provided 20 assists in 26 matches, besides scoring six goals in one pit. His endowment was recognised by scout Antonio Mora, and he was acquired by the Vicenza youth team at age 13 for £300 ( 500,000 Lit ). After scoring 110 goals in 120 matches, Baggio began his professional career with the Vicenza senior side in 1983, at long time 15. [ 29 ] [ 30 ] At the age of 16, Baggio made his Serie C1 debut with Vicenza on 5 June 1983, a 1–0 dwelling loss against Piacenza, in the final league pit of the season, coming on as a second-half utility. He scored his first goal in Serie C1 during the trace temper, on 3 June 1984, from a penalty in a 3–0 succeed against Brescia, the clubhouse with which he retired in 2004. [ 2 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] [ 33 ] Baggio scored the beginning professional finish of his career in the Coppa Italia Serie C in a 4–1 away win over Legnano on 30 November 1983. [ 2 ] [ 31 ] He besides made his Coppa Italia debut with the club on 31 August 1983, against Palermo, and he scored his beginning Coppa Italia goal in a 4–2 away passing to Empoli, on 26 August 1984. [ 2 ] [ 31 ] During the 1984–85 Serie C1 temper under director Bruno Giorgi, he scored 12 goals in 29 appearances, helping the club to gain promotion to Serie B. Baggio began to draw the attention of larger italian clubs, in detail Serie A side Fiorentina, and his play style was compared to that of his paragon Zico. [ 29 ] [ 30 ] Baggio was besides awarded the Guerin d’Oro in 1985 as the Best Player in Serie C1. [ 34 ] During the end of his final season at Vicenza, Baggio shattered both the front tooth cruciate ligament ( ACL ) and the meniscus of his proper knee while playing against Rimini on 5 May 1985, while attempting a slide rigging. The injury occurred two days before his official transfer cope to Fiorentina had been finalised, and it seriously threatened his career, at age 18. Although several team doctors feared he would not play again, Fiorentina retained their faith in him, agreeing to commit to the transfer a well as store the command surgery, one of many reasons for Baggio ‘s attachment to the club. [ 29 ] [ 35 ]

1985–1990 : Fiorentina [edit ]

Fiorentina purchased Baggio in 1985 for £1.5 million. During his time at the club, despite initial injuries, he became highly popular, and is regarded as one of the club ‘s best ever players. [ 36 ] In his first season with the club, Baggio did not appear in Serie A as he was sidelined by injury ; Fiorentina finished in one-fifth place in the league and reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, with Baggio making his cabaret debut in the latter competition. He ultimately made his Serie A debut the following season on 21 September 1986, in a 2–0 home win against Sampdoria, [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] and he besides made his european debut that season on 17 September 1986, in an UEFA Cup match against Boavista. [ 40 ] Baggio suffered another stifle injury on 28 September, and he was operated again, requiring 220 stitches to have it rebuilt, losing 12 kilogram as a result and missing most of the season. [ 26 ] Baggio returned, and scored his beginning league goal from a free-kick on 10 May 1987 in a 1–1 draw against Diego Maradona ‘s Napoli, the eventual Serie A champions ; Baggio ‘s equalizer saved Fiorentina from delegating. [ 37 ]

“ The angels sing in his stage. ”

—Former Fiorentina director Aldo Agroppi on Baggio. [ 41 ]
Baggio led Fiorentina to a Coppa Italia quarter-final during the 1988–89 season under coach Sven-Göran Eriksson, scoring nine goals, as Fiorentina were eliminated by eventual champions Sampdoria. [ 42 ] This season would be Baggio ‘s discovery, as he scored 15 goals in Serie A, finishing third in the capocannoniere ( top goalscorer ) title. He besides helped Fiorentina finish in seventh target in Serie A and win an UEFA Cup spot, assisting the only goal by Roberto Pruzzo in the tiebreak qualifier against Roma. [ 43 ] He formed a luminary attacking partnership with Stefano Borgonovo, and the couple scored 29 of Fiorentina ‘s 44 Serie A goals, earning the nickname “ B2 ”. [ 44 ] Baggio ‘s performances elevated him to hero status among the fans, and he drew praise from several pundits. His characteristics led erstwhile Fiorentina playmaker Miguel Montuori to say Baggio was “ more productive than Maradona ; he is without doubt the best number 10 in the league ”, besides stating that Baggio had “ ice in his veins ” due to his composure in front of finish. [ 29 ] Although Fiorentina were struggling against relegation during the 1989–90 season, Baggio led the club to the 1990 UEFA Cup Final, only to be defeated by his future club, Juventus. [ 15 ] Baggio scored 1 finish in 12 appearances in the competition, in a turn of 16 1–0 home succeed against Dynamo Kyiv, from a penalty, on 22 November 1989 ; this was his first goal in european competitions. [ 45 ] He besides scored the critical penalty in the first base round gunfight against Atlético Madrid. [ 46 ] With 17 goals, Baggio was the second-highest goalscorer in the 1989–90 Serie A season after Marco van Basten, and was awarded the Bravo Award as the best under-23 player in european competitions. [ 47 ] He besides placed eighth in the 1990 Ballon d’Or. [ 48 ] With Fiorentina, Baggio scored 55 goals in 136 appearances, 39 of which were in Serie A, from 94 appearances. [ 34 ]

1990–1995 : Juventus [edit ]

“ One crippled stands out in finical, one against Ancona [ actually Udinese ] which we won 5–1 [ actually 5–0 ]. Baggio scored four goals in the first 20 minutes and killed the game off. I do n’t think I ‘ve seen a better performance from any actor in any game I ‘ve ever played in. For half an hour, he was on fire. As footballers go, he ‘s a flair. ”

—Former Juventus teammate David Platt on Baggio, 1995. [ 49 ]
In 1990, Baggio was sold to one of Fiorentina ‘s rivals, Juventus, for £8 million, the world criminal record transfer for a football player at the time. [ 25 ] He inherited the number 10 shirt, once worn by Michel Platini. [ 50 ] Following the transplant, there were riots on the streets of Florence, where 50 people were injured. [ 51 ] Baggio replied to his fans, saying : “ I was compelled to accept the transfer. ” [ 52 ] When Juventus played Fiorentina on 7 April 1991, Baggio refused to take a penalty, stating Fiorentina goalkeeper Gianmatteo Mareggini knew him excessively well. however, Luigi De Agostini, Baggio ‘s surrogate, missed the penalty and Juventus finally lost the match. When Baggio was substituted, he picked up a Fiorentina scarf confuse onto the field, a gesture which, although appreciated by his erstwhile club ‘s fans, caused outrage among the Juventus supporters, who were initially reluctant to accept Baggio. He claimed to be “ constantly empurpled ” in his heart, with purple being the color of Fiorentina. [ 53 ]
Baggio with Juventus In this first season at Juventus, Baggio scored 14 goals and provided 12 assists in Serie A, often playing behind the forwards under Luigi Maifredi, although Juventus finished in seventh place in Serie A, outside the european qualification spots. however, Juventus did reach the semi-finals of the european Cup Winners ‘ Cup that year, a tournament in which Baggio was top scorer with nine goals, bringing his seasonal worker full to 27 goals. Juventus would ultimately be eliminated by Johan Cruyff ‘s Barcelona “ Dream team ”. Juventus were besides eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia to eventual winners Roma, with Baggio scoring three goals. Juventus besides lost the Supercoppa Italiana against Napoli at the begin of the season ; Baggio scored Juventus ‘s lone goal from a free-kick. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] Baggio made his hundredth Serie A appearance in a 0–0 hook against Lazio on 21 October 1990. [ 31 ] In his second season, under newfangled coach Giovanni Trapattoni, Baggio finished runner-up to Marco vanguard Basten for the Serie A top scorekeeper entitle, scoring 18 goals and providing 8 assists, [ 56 ] as Juventus finished runner-up to Fabio Capello ‘s AC Milan in Serie A, [ 57 ] and to Parma in the Coppa Italia concluding, in which Baggio scored in his baseball club ‘s 1–0 victory in the first base branch from a penalty. [ 58 ] It was during his second season with the clubhouse that Baggio came to be accepted by the Juventus fans, as he was seen as a drawing card around whom the club ‘s play revolved. [ 59 ] however, Trapattoni often deployed Baggio in a more advance function, [ 59 ] which led to minor disagreements between the player, his coach [ 60 ] [ 61 ] and Juventus management. [ 62 ] Baggio was appointed team captain for the 1992–93 season. He had a dominant season, winning the merely european club trophy of his career after helping Juventus to the UEFA Cup final examination, in which he scored twice and assisted another goal over both legs, defeating Borussia Dortmund 6–1 on aggregate. [ 63 ] En route to the final examination, Baggio scored two goals in the 2–1 home victory against Paris Saint-Germain, in the first leg of the semi-final, and he went on to score the only goal in the return key leg. [ 64 ] [ 65 ] Juventus besides reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, losing on away goals to local rivals and winners Torino. Juventus finished one-fourth in Serie A that season, although they managed a 3–1 away win against the Serie A champions Milan, with Baggio scoring a memorable individual finish while besides setting-up Andreas Möller ‘s first goal of the catch. [ 66 ] One of the highlights of the season involved Baggio scoring four goals in open play against Udinese in a 5–0 Juventus home win. [ 67 ] Baggio was once again runner-up for the Serie A capocannoniere claim with 21 goals and 6 assists. He scored a personal well of 30 goals in all club competitions that season, in addition to five goals with the Italy national team. During the 1993 calendar year, Baggio managed a personal record 39 goals across all competitions, scoring 23 goals in Serie A, 3 in the Coppa Italia, 8 goals in european competitions and 5 goals for Italy, helping his national side qualify for the World Cup. [ 68 ] Baggio ‘s performances throughout the year earned him both the European Footballer of the class, with 142 points from a potential 150, [ 69 ] and the FIFA World Player of the year awards. [ 6 ] He was besides awarded the Onze d’Or, [ 70 ] and the World Soccer Player of the Year Award. [ 71 ] In the 1993–94 temper, Baggio often played as a moment striker alongside Gianluca Vialli or Fabrizio Ravanelli, and occasionally the young Alessandro Del Piero ; [ 72 ] [ 73 ] Juventus once again finished runners up to Milan in Serie A, and Baggio finished third in the capocannoniere title with 17 goals and 8 assists, while the baseball club suffered a quarter-final elimination in the UEFA Cup against Cagliari. On 31 October 1993, Baggio scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 acquire over Genoa, which included his hundredth Serie A goal ; he besides set up a goal for Möller during the catch. [ 2 ] [ 31 ] [ 74 ] Baggio made his two-hundredth Serie A appearance on 5 December 1993 in a 1–0 win over Napoli. [ 31 ] After sustaining an injury earlier that temper, Baggio was operated on his meniscus in March 1994. [ 75 ] Baggio placed second in the 1994 Ballon d’Or, [ 76 ] third in the 1994 FIFA World Player of the Year, [ 6 ] and was awarded the 1994 Onze de Bronze. [ 70 ] In the 1994–95 temper, Trapattoni ‘s substitution, Marcello Lippi, wanted to create a more cohesive team, less dependent on Baggio, [ 77 ] who was deployed as an outside ahead in a 4–3–3 constitution. [ 78 ] Baggio was injured for most of the season, being ruled out for over three months after sustaining a knee injury against Padova on 27 November 1994. After scoring from a free-kick, he was substituted by Alessandro Del Piero, who temporarily took his place in the team. [ 79 ] Baggio returned to the starting line-up in the inaugural peg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio in Rome on 8 March 1995, setting up Fabrizio Ravanelli ‘s winner. [ 80 ] On his first Serie A match back from wound, on 12 March 1995, Baggio scored Juventus ‘ second base goal in a 2–0 winnings over Foggia, and set up Ravanelli ‘s finish. [ 81 ] due to his injury, Baggio alone managed 17 Serie A appearances, but still contributed to his first scudetto with Juventus by contributing eight goals and eight assists. [ 82 ] [ 83 ] He provided assists for three of the goals in the title-deciding match against Parma, which Juventus won 4–0 in Turin on 21 May 1995. [ 84 ] He helped Juventus win the Coppa Italia that year, notching two goals and two assists, scoring the winning goal in the second leg of the semi-final. [ 85 ] He helped lead Juventus to another UEFA Cup concluding by scoring four goals, including two goals and an assist over both legs of the semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund. [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] Despite Baggio ‘s firm performance, Juventus were defeated in the UEFA Cup final by Parma. [ 89 ] Baggio scored 115 goals in 200 appearances during his five seasons at Juventus ; 78 were scored in Serie A in 141 appearances. [ 6 ] [ 90 ] In 1995, Baggio was nominated for the Ballon d’Or and placed fifth in the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year Award. [ 91 ] He was besides awarded the 1995 Onze d’Argent Award, behind George Weah. [ 70 ] Baggio is presently Juventus ‘ ninth-highest goalscorer in all competitions, [ 92 ] and is the joint tenth-highest goalscorer for Juventus in Serie A, aboard Pietro Anastasi. [ 93 ] He is the sixth-highest Juventus goalscorer in the Coppa Italia with 14 goals, and is besides the joint one-fourth all-time Juventus goalscorer in european competitions, arsenic well as the joint fifth all-time Juventus goalscorer in external competitions, with 22 goals, aboard Anastasi once again. [ 92 ] In 2010, he was named one of the club ‘s 50 greatest legends. [ 94 ]

1995–1997 : actinium Milan [edit ]

“ Baggio on the bench ? It ‘s something that I will never understand in my life. ”

— Zinedine Zidane on Baggio starting on the bench. [ 77 ]
In 1995, Marcello Lippi, Roberto Bettega and Umberto Agnelli announced that Baggio no long featured in their plans at Juventus and decided to focus on the emerging star Alessandro Del Piero, who would inherit Baggio ‘s count 10 shirt. [ 83 ] [ 95 ] [ 96 ] Baggio faced difficulties with Agnelli, Luciano Moggi, and Juventus management during his final examination season, as they stated they would lone renew his condense if he reduced his wage by 50 %. [ 97 ] [ 98 ] After firm pressure from AC Milan chair Silvio Berlusconi and coach Fabio Capello, Baggio was sold to the Milanese club for £6.8 million, amidst respective protests from Juventus fans. [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 100 ] At the time, Baggio had been linked with Inter Milan, [ 101 ] Real Madrid, and English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers. [ 102 ] Although Baggio initially struggled with injuries at the begin of his beginning season with Milan, [ 103 ] [ 104 ] he came back into the starting line-up and was appointed the chief penalty taker. [ 82 ] He helped Milan win the Serie A title, notably scoring a finish against his early team Fiorentina from a penalty in the title-deciding match. [ 105 ] Baggio finished the season with 10 goals in all competitions, in 34 appearances ; seven of his goals were scored in Serie A, in 28 appearances, and he besides provided 12 assists in Serie A, making him the top serve supplier of the season. He became one of alone six players to win the scudetto in consecutive years with different teams, [ 106 ] [ 107 ] and was voted the cabaret ‘s best musician of the temper by the fans, despite playing a more creative character. [ 82 ] [ 108 ] Towards the conclusion of the season, Baggio had disagreements with Capello due to limited dally fourth dimension, as Capello believed he was no longer fit adequate to play for 90 minutes ; although Baggio frequently started matches, he was frequently substituted during the moment half ; [ 82 ] [ 83 ] during the course of the temper, he lone played nine matches in their entirety, being substituted on 17 occasions, and coming off the workbench doubly. [ 109 ] During the opening of the 1996–97 Serie A under newly Milan director Óscar Tabárez, Baggio was initially left out of the first team, with the former commenting “ [ metric ton ] here is no place for poets in modern football. ” [ 6 ] [ 110 ] Baggio was later able to convince the Uruguayan director of his abilities and earn himself a descry in the start line-up ; he became the focal distributor point of the team ‘s offensive play, and was initially started in his choose role behind George Weah, and on occasion as a collectivist or as a central-midfielder playmaker. [ 111 ] [ 112 ] [ 113 ] [ 114 ] After a serial of disappoint results, Baggio was relegated to the bench, [ 115 ] and Milan ‘s former coach Arrigo Sacchi, besides the former Italy director with whom Baggio had argued following the 1994 World Cup, was called in as a successor. [ 83 ] [ 116 ] Although their relationship initially improved, [ 117 ] Sacchi gave Baggio limited play time, and he soon fell out of form, along with the respite of the squad, which caused their relationship to deteriorate again. [ 118 ] Milan failed to retain their league title, finishing the season in a disappointing eleventh place, [ 119 ] and they were knocked out once again in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. [ 120 ] Baggio made his UEFA Champions League introduction in the 1996–97 season, scoring his first goal in the contest, [ 121 ] although Milan were eliminated in the group phase. [ 119 ] [ 122 ] Milan besides lost the 1996 Supercoppa Italiana to Fiorentina, as Baggio was left on the bench. [ 123 ] [ 124 ] During his time at Milan, Baggio scored 19 goals in 67 appearances in all competitions ; 12 of his goals were scored in Serie A, in 51 appearances, 3 were scored in the Coppa Italia in 6 appearances, and 4 were scored in european competitions, in 10 appearances. [ 34 ]

1997–1998 : bologna [edit ]

“ I said, ‘No, you have to play striker. ‘ Baggio went to another club. That year Baggio scored 25 [ actually 22 ] goals – for Bologna ! I lost 25 goals ! big mistake. ”

— Carlo Ancelotti talking to Simon Kuper of the Financial Times in 2014, reminiscing his greatest regret in football, choosing a system over a generational talent. [ 125 ]
In 1997, Capello returned to Milan, subsequently stating Baggio was not a part of his plans with the club. [ 126 ] Baggio chose to move to Parma, but the coach at the clock time, Carlo Ancelotti, impeded the transmit, as he besides did not feel Baggio would fit into his tactical plans. [ 127 ] Ancelotti would late state he regretted this decision, stating that in his naïveté, he believed that the 4–4–2 geological formation was the ideal formation for achiever, and he felt that at the time, creative players such as Gianfranco Zola and Baggio were not compatible with this system. [ 128 ] Baggio subsequently transferred to Bologna, aiming to save the squad from delegating, and earn a plaza at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Baggio refound his form with the club and had a dominant season, scoring a personal well of 22 goals in Serie A, vitamin a well as providing 9 assists, leading Bologna to an eighth-place finish, allowing them to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Baggio was the highest score italian in Serie A that season, and the third-highest goalscorer in Serie A. His performances earned him a place in Italy ‘s 1998 World Cup police squad. Baggio besides led Bologna to the round of 16 in the Coppa Italia, where he scored one goal in three appearances. Although he rose to hero condition amongst the fans, [ 129 ] he had difficulties with his coach Renzo Ulivieri, in finical when he was left out of the starting 11 against Juventus. [ 129 ] Ulivieri by and by denied always having any difficulties with Baggio. [ 130 ] At the beginning of the season, Baggio cut off his iconic ponytail, signifying his reincarnation. [ 120 ] Baggio was named as Bologna ‘s captain for part of the season, before handing the armband to Giancarlo Marocchi. [ 53 ] Baggio made his three-hundredth Serie A appearance while at Bologna, in a 0–0 draw against Empoli on 11 January 1998. [ 31 ] Baggio received nominations for both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the year ascribable to his performances for Bologna and Italy that season. He was besides nominated for the 1998 Serie A italian Footballer of the class and Serie A Footballer of the class awards, losing out to Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo, respectively. [ 131 ] [ 132 ]

1998–2000 : bury Milan [edit ]

After the 1998 World Cup, Baggio signed with his favored childhood club Inter Milan in order to compete in the UEFA Champions League. [ 37 ] After injuries, disappointing results, and respective managerial changes throughout the season, including Luigi Simoni, Mircea Lucescu, and Roy Hodgson, Baggio struggled to gain play time, [ 37 ] [ 53 ] [ 133 ] and was used out of position as a winger, frequently as a ersatz. [ 134 ] Baggio scored 5 goals and provided 10 assists in 23 appearances during the 1998–99 season, as Inter finished in one-eighth place, missing out on a european spot. [ 135 ] [ 136 ] He helped Inter to a Coppa Italia semi-final, losing out to eventual winners Parma. [ 137 ] Baggio scored a finish against his erstwhile club Bologna in a european play-off match, but Inter lost both matches, failing to qualify for the UEFA Cup. [ 138 ] Baggio besides scored four goals in the Champions League, helping lead Inter through the qualifying rounds to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Manchester United, [ 139 ] besides scoring a memorable brace against defending champions veridical Madrid in the group stage. [ 82 ] [ 140 ] In the 1999–2000 season, Marcello Lippi, Baggio ‘s early coach at Juventus, was appointed as Inter ‘s new coach. Lippi did not favour Baggio and left him out of the team for most of the season, stating Baggio was out of human body. In his autobiography, Baggio stated Lippi had dumped him after Baggio refused to point out which of Inter ‘s players had expressed negative opinions about the coach, besides highlighting an incidental during a train school term where he called out Christian Vieri and Christian Panucci for applauding Baggio for a celebrated assist. [ 29 ] [ 37 ] [ 53 ] [ 82 ] [ 120 ] [ 133 ] Baggio was used hardly and frequently as a substitute, scoring 4 goals in 18 appearances during the regular Serie A season. He made five appearances in the Coppa Italia, with his only goal coming against local rivals A.C. Milan in the second leg of the quarter-finals, as he helped Inter reach the final, [ 37 ] [ 141 ] only to be defeated by Lazio. [ 142 ] Despite his limited play time, Baggio still managed several important goals to help Inter to a fourth-place complete, aboard Parma, such as his match winning finish against Hellas Verona, which he scored after coming off the bench, after being excluded from the team since 18 December 1999. Baggio had besides previously helped to set up Inter ‘s counterweight during the match. This was the first time Baggio had scored for Inter since his goal on 27 May of the previous season, and in the post-match the interview, he denied accusations made by Lippi in regard to his personal form. [ 143 ] Baggio ‘s death significant contribution to Inter was scoring two memorable goals against Parma in the play-off match for the last stay Champions League plaza, which Inter won 3–1 ; [ 144 ] Lippi had been forced to field Baggio due to several injuries. Baggio was given a perfect 10 evaluation from the italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which described his performance as “ absolutely perfect all plot ”. [ 145 ] This match is considered an exemplar of professionalism shown by Baggio, as Inter president Massimo Moratti had stated Lippi would only stay on if the team qualified for the Champions League. [ 53 ] [ 120 ] [ 146 ]

2000–2004 : brescia [edit ]

“ Roberto Baggio was the best italian fantasista ; he was better than Meazza and Boniperti, and he was amongst the greatest of all time, right behind Maradona, Pelé, and possibly Cruyff. Without the injury problems and the difficulties with his knees, he would have been the identical best player in history. ”

— Carlo Mazzone, Baggio ‘s coach at Brescia. [ 147 ]
After two years with Inter, Baggio decided not to renew his expiring contract due to his conflicts with Marcello Lippi, making him a free agent at long time 33. [ 37 ] He was linked with several Serie A cabaret, such as Napoli and Reggina, [ 148 ] and besides versatile Premier League and La Liga clubs, including Barcelona. [ 148 ] Baggio ultimately transferred to Serie A newcomers Brescia under point bus Carlo Mazzone, aiming to save them from delegating ; he remained in Italy in rate to have a greater opportunity of being called up for the 2002 World Cup. [ 149 ] He was made captain and was given the issue 10 shirt, [ 150 ] play as an attacking midfielder. [ 151 ] Despite injury problems during the first half of the season, Baggio re-found his shape and managed ten-spot goals and ten-spot assists in the 2000–01 season. [ 37 ] [ 152 ] Brescia finished in a articulation one-seventh place, their best Serie A end since the league ‘s re-establishment in 1946, and qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, besides reaching the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, losing to eventual winners Fiorentina. [ 153 ] Baggio helped Brescia to the concluding of the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where they were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain on away goals. Baggio scored one goal in the tournament, in the final examination from a penalty. [ 154 ] His performances earned him a nomination for the 2001 Ballon d’Or, and he finished 25th overall in the rankings. [ 155 ] Baggio was one of the best offensive playmakers in the league, [ 156 ] winning the Guerin d’oro Award in 2001, awarded by the italian sports magazine Guerin Sportivo, to the player with the highest average evaluation throughout the season with at least 19 appearances. [ 157 ] At the start of 2001–02 season, Baggio scored eight goals in the first nine matches, leading him to the top of the Serie A goalscoring table. [ 82 ] In his one-eighth league appearance of the season, against Piacenza, Baggio scored a goal but belated suffered an injury. [ 158 ] A week late, against Venezia, he scored from a penalty, but he endured a more dangerous injury following a unvoiced challenge which caused him to tear the ACL of his left stifle, keeping him out of action for four months. [ 159 ] He suffered a second dangerous injury that season, tearing the meniscus in his forget stifle, after returning to the team, and coming off the bench, in the Coppa Italia semi-final against Parma on 31 January 2002. [ 160 ] He was operated on 4 February 2002 and he returned for three matches before the end of the season, making a recovery in 76 days. [ 161 ] On 21 April 2002, in the first game after his comeback, Baggio came on as a utility to score two goals against Fiorentina, helping Brescia win the pit. [ 161 ] He scored again against Bologna, saving Brescia from delegating on the concluding matchday, and bringing his seasonal worker count to 11 goals in 12 Serie A matches. [ 162 ] Despite Baggio ‘s performances and public demand, Italy national team headway coach Giovanni Trapattoni did not deem him fully fit, prompting the coach to leave Baggio out of the final examination police squad for the 2002 World Cup. [ 163 ] Trapattoni besides expressed concern about bringing Baggio to the World Cup due to the presence of Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero in his function, believing that this could create a competition between the players. [ 164 ] After missing out on the tournament, Baggio reversed his initial decision to retire after the World Cup, expressing his intention to surpass the 200 Serie A goal mark. [ 165 ]
Baggio playing for Brescia Baggio maintained a high flush of performance under newly coach Gianni De Biasi. [ 152 ] Baggio managed 12 goals and 9 assists during the 2002–03 season, helping Brescia to an eighth-place finish and another UEFA Intertoto Cup spot. He scored his three-hundredth career goal from a punishment on 15 December 2002, in Brescia ‘s 3–1 home victory over Perugia, besides setting-up one of Igli Tare ‘s goals. [ 37 ] [ 166 ] In the 2003–04 temper, the final examination temper of his career, Baggio recorded 12 goals and 11 assists. He scored his two-hundredth goal in Serie A in a 2–2 draw against Parma on 14 March 2004, [ 167 ] saving Brescia from relegation, as they finished the season in 11th set. [ 167 ] Baggio was the first base musician in about 30 years to surpass the 200-goal milestone, and is presently only one of seven players to have accomplished the feat. Baggio scored his final and 205th Serie A career goal on the second end matchday, in a 2–1 home acquire over Coppa Italia winners Lazio on 9 May 2004 ; he besides set up Brescia ‘s inaugural goal in that match. [ 168 ] Baggio played his last career match on 16 May 2004 on the final matchday of the season at the San Siro against Milan, which ended in a 4–2 loss to the Serie A champions ; during the game, he set-up Matuzalém ‘s moment finish. [ 169 ] In the 88th minute, De Biasi substituted Baggio, prompting the 80,000 present at the San Siro to give him a standing ovation ; Milan ‘s captain, defender Paolo Maldini, who was Baggio ‘s early teammate both with the Italy national team and Milan, besides embraced him before he left the pitch. [ 37 ] [ 170 ] With Brescia, Baggio scored 46 goals in 101 appearances in all competitions, scoring 45 goals in 95 Serie A appearances, and one goal in two european matches. Baggio besides made four Coppa Italia appearances with Brescia. Baggio retired as Brescia ‘s all-time leading goalscorer in Serie A. He ended his career with 205 goals in Serie A, making him the seventh-highest scorekeeper of all meter, behind Silvio Piola, Francesco Totti ( who overtook him in 2011 ), Gunnar Nordahl, Giuseppe Meazza, José Altafini, and Antonio Di Natale ( who overtook him in 2015 ). Baggio ‘s phone number 10 shirt was retired by Brescia in his respect, and he is considered the club ‘s greatest always musician. [ 171 ] Before Baggio had joined Brescia, they had never been able to avoid relegation after being newly promoted to Serie A, in over 40 years. During the four years under Baggio, Brescia recorded their best always Serie A footrace and were never relegated. [ 172 ]

International career [edit ]

Youth career and aged debut [edit ]

Baggio totalled 27 goals in 56 caps for his national team at senior level, making him Italy ‘s fourth-highest all-time goalscorer, tied with Del Piero, who managed the total in 91 appearances. [ 173 ] At youth floor, he was capped for the Italy U16 on four occasions in 1984, scoring three goals. [ 3 ] Under Cesare Maldini, he was called up for one Italy under-21 match against Switzerland on 16 October 1987, although he was an unused alternate, and queerly failed to make an appearance for the azzurrini. [ 4 ] His first senior International call-up was given to him by director Azeglio Vicini, and he made his first appearance for Italy on 16 November 1988 at long time 21 in a 1–0 friendly victory over the Netherlands, assisting Gianluca Vialli ‘s match-winning goal. [ 174 ] [ 175 ] He scored his first goal for Italy on 22 April 1989, from a free-kick in a 1–1 draw against Uruguay in an external friendly in Verona. [ 6 ] Later that year, in his following international appearance in Italy ‘s friendly against Bulgaria, held in Cesena on 20 September, he scored his inaugural brace for Italy in a 4–0 victory, [ niobium 2 ] besides late assisting Andrea Carnevale ‘s goal with a cross from a absolve gripe, and contributing to Nikolay Iliev ‘s own goal by setting-up Vialli, whose shoot was subsequently deflected by the bulgarian defender. [ 177 ] [ 178 ] [ 179 ]

1990 FIFA World Cup [edit ]

“ Baggio. Oh yes, ohio yes…oh yes ! What a finish by Baggio ! That ‘s the finish they ‘ve all been waiting for ! ”

—ITV Commentator Alan Parry ‘s reaction to Baggio ‘s goal in Italy ‘s group stagecoach match against Czechoslovakia, during the 1990 World Cup. [ 29 ]
Baggio was called up for his first World Cup tournament in 1990, on home dirt. Baggio was frequently used as a stand-in, appearing in five matches, but only starting in four of them, as Italy director Azeglio Vicini preferred the more experienced Gianluca Vialli. [ 180 ] Baggio was silent able to display his ability throughout the tournament, and Vicini ‘s decision not to use him more frequently was late criticised, [ 181 ] as Baggio ‘s creative combinations with Salvatore Schillaci were praised. [ 182 ] Baggio scored twice during the tournament, including the “ goal of the tournament ” in a 2–0 acquire in his first competitive external fastness, in Italy ‘s final group meet against Czechoslovakia. The goal, which drew him comparisons with Giuseppe Meazza, involved an central with Giuseppe Giannini on the leave wing, followed by a dribbling run from midfield, in which Baggio beat respective players, wrong-footing the last defender with a feint, before putting the testis past the goalkeeper. [ 183 ] This finish was former recognised as the seventh-best goal in World Cup history in a FIFA poll. [ 184 ]
Baggio with Italy in 1990 In the attack of 16 match against Uruguay, which Italy won 2–0, Baggio started the play which led to Italy ‘s beginning finish, scored by Schillaci. Baggio besides scored a goal from a calculate free-kick, but it was disallowed as the referee had awarded an indirect free-kick. [ 185 ] Baggio besides had a finish incorrectly ruled offside in the quarter-final against the Republic of Ireland, which Italy won 1–0 ; Baggio was once again involved in the build-up which led to Schillaci ‘s equal victorious goal. [ 186 ] Italy were eliminated on penalties against defending champions Argentina in the semi-finals after a 1–1 absorb, although Baggio was able to score his punishment in the gunfight. [ 37 ] Baggio had come off the bench in the second half for Giannini, and came close to winning the meet with a free-kick, but it was saved by Sergio Goycochea. [ 187 ] In the bronze decoration match against England, Baggio returned to the starting line-up, playing behind Schillaci. He scored Italy ‘s first goal of the match after stealing the ball from Peter Shilton. David Platt momentarily equalised, but with five minutes left on the clock, Baggio set up Schillaci, who was fouled inside the area by Paul Parker. Although Baggio was the regularly designated penalty taker for his national team, he stepped aside to allow Schillaci to score and capture the Golden Shoe, a gesture which was praised by the italian media. [ 188 ] [ 189 ] Baggio assisted a finish by Nicola Berti in the dying minutes of the match, but it was incorrectly ruled offside. [ 188 ] Italy won the equal 2–1, capturing the third place decoration. [ 6 ] Following the World Cup, Baggio was not called up often by Vicini for the Euro 1992 Qualification matches, only making three appearances and scoring two goals as Italy failed to qualify for the tournament, finishing second in their qualify group behind the Soviet Union. [ 190 ]

1994 FIFA World Cup [edit ]

Under Italy ‘s new coach, Arrigo Sacchi, Baggio was his team ‘s peak scorer during their qualify campaign for the 1994 World Cup, scoring five goals of the team ‘s 14 goals in the eight games in which he featured, while besides providing seven assists. He helped Italy top their group and qualify for the 1994 World Cup, notably contributing to Dino Baggio ‘s winner in the decisive final group pit against Portugal, which secured Italy ‘s place in the final rival. [ 39 ] [ 191 ] [ 192 ] One of his best performances during the qualifying campaign occurred on 14 October 1992 against Switzerland ; Italy were trailing 2–0 at home and Baggio led his team to a 2–2 draw rejoinder, scoring a goal. [ 193 ] Under Sacchi, Baggio made his first and only starting appearance as Italy ‘s captain in the 1994 World Cup qualifying match in Glasgow against Scotland on 18 November 1992. [ 194 ] [ 195 ] however, he was substituted off in the final examination minutes of the 0–0 draw after injuring his rib. [ 196 ] [ 197 ] Despite a series of injuries anterior to the tournament, [ 198 ] Baggio was expected to be one of the stars of the 1994 World Cup, entering the competition as the reigning Ballon d’Or achiever and FIFA World Player of the Year, and at the acme of his career ; after a lackluster start, he led his team to the final with three match winning performances in the smasher rounds, wearing the count 10 shirt, and scoring five goals in the process. [ 6 ] [ 199 ] [ 200 ] [ 201 ] In a disappointing beginning match against Republic of Ireland at Giants Stadium, New Jersey, Italy were defeated 1–0. [ 202 ] [ 203 ] In the second match against Norway, he appeared more prompt ; however, Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca was sent off for handling the ball outside the area. Luca Marchegiani was brought in to replace him, and Arrigo Sacchi decided to take off Baggio in what produced an exclaim amidst the fans. Baggio former stated that Sacchi was “ brainsick. ” [ 37 ] Italy won the match 1–0. [ 204 ] Italy continued to disappoint, as their concluding group match ended in a 1–1 draw against Mexico, and he again failed to influence the leave. [ 205 ] The Italians finished third in their group, drawing much criticism from the iron, and only advancing from the first turn as the fourth-best third-placed team ; Juventus president of the united states Gianni Agnelli excellently called Baggio un coniglio bagnato ( “ a wet lapin ” ), referring to his despondent demeanor, hoping the jab would spur him on to score. [ 206 ] After under-performing during the group stage, Baggio refound his form in the hard stages, where he scored five memorable goals. He scored two in the round of 16, helping a ten-man Italy frustration Nigeria 2–1 at Foxboro Stadium in Boston, after trailing for most of the match. He scored his first finish of the match with two minutes left on the clock, after receiving ball at the boundary of the area from Roberto Mussi. He then went on to score the winning goal from a penalty in extra time after setting up Antonio Benarrivo with a lob pass, who was then fouled in the penalty area. [ 207 ] [ 208 ] Baggio scored another match-winning goal in the quarter-finals to defeat Spain 2–1 with three minutes remaining. After receiving the musket ball from Giuseppe Signori, he dribbled past the spanish goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, scoring off-balance from a close lean. He was besides involved in the build-up which led to Italy ‘s foremost goal by his unrelated namesake Dino Baggio. [ 209 ] [ 210 ] Baggio gave a man of the match performance in the semi-finals ; he scored two more goals to beat Bulgaria 2–1 at Giants Stadium, leading Italy to the World Cup concluding for the first fourth dimension in 12 years. He scored his inaugural goal after beating two players and curling the ball from outside the area into the bottom-right corner. His second was scored with a half volley from a tight slant, assisted by Demetrio Albertini with a lob ball. [ 211 ] [ 212 ]

Post-World Cup [edit ]

After the 1994 World Cup, Italy head coach Arrigo Sacchi and Baggio infamously fell out. Their relationship deteriorated in September 1994 following a 1–1 draw against Slovenia in a Euro 1996 qualifying match, where Baggio was benched. [ 230 ] After a 2–1 kill to Croatia in a Euro 1996 qualifying match in November, their relationship hit the break point, and Baggio, supported by his teammates, [ 231 ] asked for the director ‘s dismissal. [ 232 ] due to his disagreements with Sacchi, Baggio was called up to the national team less frequently, only making one more alternate appearance in a 1–0 base win against Slovenia in a Euro 1996 modifier in September 1995. He finally lost his spot in the police squad, missing out on Italy ‘s Euro 1996 squad, despite winning the scudetto that year with Milan. Sacchi justified his decision by stating Baggio was not in full paroxysm, [ 233 ] and that Enrico Chiesa helped the team more when possession was lost. [ 234 ] Italy were eliminated in the group stage of the competition. Baggio was besides excluded from Cesare Maldini ‘s italian Olympic team in 1996. [ 235 ]

1998 FIFA World Cup [edit ]

After a drawn-out absence from the national team, Baggio was called up by Cesare Maldini for a World Cup qualifying match against Poland on 30 April 1997, in Naples ; Baggio came off the workbench and scored a goal in a 3–0 win. [ 82 ] He was subsequently selected as one of Italy ‘s 22 players for the 1998 World Cup following his performances with Bologna. [ 236 ]

“ I had the prototype of my miss from four years ago stuck in my beware. I was stepping up to the penalty smudge and I thought to myself : ‘Just hit it hard, hit it hard … ‘

—Baggio on his penalty against Chile in the 1998 World Cup. [ 218 ]
In Italy ‘s opening meet of the 1998 World Cup in France, against Chile, Baggio started aboard Christian Vieri, playing all 90 minutes, as Alessandro Del Piero was still recovering from an injury. Vieri opened the score from a Baggio aid, but Chile managed to equalise and take the lead through Marcelo Salas. [ 237 ] Baggio created several chances, but Italy were unable to equalise. Towards the end of the match, Baggio played a depleted cross into the box which unintentionally touched Chilean defender Ronald Fuentes ‘s hand at the edge of the penalty area, resulting in a fortunate punishment for Italy. [ 227 ] [ 238 ] Despite missing the decisive punishment in the 1994 World Cup final gunfight, Baggio stepped up to take the punishment, and he scored Italy ‘s equalising goal, becoming the first italian player to score in three World Cups. [ 239 ] This was the first gear penalty he had taken for Italy since the 1994 World Cup final miss ; Baggio described the goal as “ release. ” [ 240 ] In Italy ‘s 3–0 second group match win over Cameroon, Baggio assisted Luigi Di Biagio ‘s opening finish with a cross following a corner ; however, he was replaced by Del Piero during the second one-half after sustaining a minor injury. [ 241 ] Baggio scored his second finish of the tournament in Italy ‘s final group equal against Austria, which ended in a 2–1 acquire to Italy. Baggio came on during the moment one-half, replacing Del Piero, after the crowd had begun to chant his name. He scored the winning goal of the meet, after combining with Francesco Moriero and Filippo Inzaghi, as Italy topped their group. With this goal, he tied Paolo Rossi ‘s record for most goals by an italian player in the World Cup finals, with nine ; this was besides his 27th and concluding goal for Italy. [ 242 ] He was left on the bench for the round of 16 acquire all over Norway as Italy advanced to the quarter-finals. [ 243 ] In the quarter-final equal against eventual champions France, Baggio came on as a substitute for Del Piero in the second one-half, and managed to create some seduce opportunities. The grudge remained 0–0, and the match went to extra time, although Baggio came the closest to scoring the fortunate goal, with a volley from a lob communicate by Albertini, but his shoot was put barely wide of Fabien Barthez ‘s far post. [ 9 ] [ 244 ] The pit finally went to a penalty gunfight. Although Baggio converted his penalty Italy ‘s first, the gunfight was won by the server nation and Italy was eliminated from a World Cup on penalties for the third base back-to-back time. [ 245 ] Italy ‘s passenger car was criticised for starting the recovering Del Piero ahead of Baggio, and for not allowing the two players to play aboard each other. [ 246 ] Despite rumours that the substitutions had created a competition between the players, Baggio and Del Piero remain friends. In 2008, Baggio stated that he has great respect for Del Piero, and that there had never been disagreements between them. [ 247 ] [ 248 ] In turn, Del Piero expressed his admiration for Baggio in 2011. [ 249 ]

late career [edit ]

Baggio was initially a regular police squad member under Dino Zoff, appearing as a utility in two UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying matches, and in a 2–0 succeed against Wales in 1998, setting up a goal for Vieri ; [ 250 ] [ 251 ] and in a 1–1 pull against Belarus in 1999. [ 252 ] [ 253 ] Baggio made a startle appearance in a 0–0 friendly draw against Norway in 1999, creating several chances, helping to set-up a goal which was ruled offside, and hitting the post from a free-kick. [ 254 ] [ 255 ] however, he was former dropped from the police squad after Inter ‘s hapless 1998–99 season, and he was not called up for UEFA Euro 2000 ascribable to his limited play time during the 1999–2000 season, and accusations made against his seaworthiness. Zoff centred his squad about young offensive players, such as Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Stefano Fiore, Marco Delvecchio, Filippo Inzaghi and Vincenzo Montella. Baggio was voted Italy ‘s Player of the Century in 2000. [ 256 ] Baggio was controversially excluded from Italy ‘s 2002 World Cup team by passenger car Giovanni Trapattoni, who believed him to not have in full recovered from the serious wound he had sustained during the season. Although he was initially bang-up to include Baggio in the final 23-man list, he ultimately excluded him from the team ; Baggio had made a steer appeal to him prior to the tournament by writing him a letter. [ 257 ] Fans and pundits criticised the omission, as Italy were eliminated by co-hosts South Korea in the rung of 16. [ 258 ] many fans hoped to see him play for Italy at Euro 2004, [ 259 ] or with the 2004 Olympic squad that finally managed a bronze decoration, [ 260 ] but this was not to be the lawsuit. [ 261 ] however, he was given an external kickoff by Trapattoni at age 37 in a friendly meet against Spain on 28 April 2004, in which he wore the total 10 shirt for the final meter, a well as the master ‘s armband for part of the match. Although Baggio entertained the herd with his creativity and skill, he was unable to score, despite winning a free-kick from which Vieri ‘s equalising goal arise. The match finished 1–1 and Baggio was given a standing ovation after being substituted off for Fabrizio Miccoli. [ 262 ] This was Baggio ‘s 56th and final equal for Italy, and it was the first meter an italian football player ‘s career had been celebrated this direction since Silvio Piola retired. [ 37 ] Baggio is the alone Italian musician always to score in three World Cups with nine career World Cup goals, putting him equal with christian Vieri and Paolo Rossi as Italy ‘s acme World Cup goalscorers. [ 23 ] [ 263 ] Despite his performances for Italy in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, he never played for Italy in a UEFA european Championship, [ 77 ] and is presently the italian actor with the most caps to never have played in a european Championship. [ 264 ]

Player visibility [edit ]

style of play [edit ]

“ He ‘s without doubt the most adept total ten in the modern game, the archetypal playmaker, if you like, who can create chances and score goals. ”

— Brian Laudrup on Baggio, 1995. [ 49 ]
Described as a fantasista, trequartista, mezzapunta, or rifinitore throughout his career in the italian media, due to his function on the pitch and creative play style, [ 5 ] [ 265 ] Baggio was a global class playmaker with an eye for finish, who was renowned for his sight, creativity, ability to read the game, crossing accuracy, and passing ability, which made him an excellent serve provider ; [ nb 3 ] however, he normally played as a moment striker throughout his career, as he was known for scoring goals deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as creating them. [ niobium 4 ] This led Michel Platini to describe him as a “ 9 and a half ”, namely a actor whose function lay half-way between that of a forth and a midfielder, as he was not a true number 9 ( the shirt numeral normally associated with a striker ), due to his creative ability, but he scored more than a number 10 ( the shirt number normally associated with an boost playmaker ), a description which often saw him identified with the function of an inside forward. [ 6 ] [ 268 ] [ 280 ] [ 281 ] [ 282 ] He besides stated that Baggio ‘s play style coincided with the re-emergence of the attacking midfielder in Italy during the early 2000s ; [ 78 ] indeed, he served as an inspiration to many future players. [ 283 ]
A young Baggio with Lanerossi Vicenza Baggio was a tactically versatile player, with a good sympathy of the game, and was comfortable attacking on either flank or through the kernel of the pitch ; this allowed him to operate anywhere along the front-line. [ 6 ] [ 15 ] [ 78 ] [ 271 ] His choose position was in a spare playmaking character behind the forwards, as a creative assail midfielder, although he was rarely deployed in this place throughout his career ascribable to the prevalence of the 4–4–2 formation, in which he normally functioned either as a main hitter, or more frequently in a patronize character as a deep-lying forward. [ 78 ] [ 284 ] It was only in late years that he was able to play in this free function more frequently. [ 200 ] [ 268 ] [ 269 ] He was besides occasionally deployed out of status as a left winger in an attack trident, [ 78 ] [ 108 ] [ 111 ] [ 134 ] as a wide-eyed midfielder, [ 285 ] or even in central midfield as a mezzala or deep-lying playmaker on rare instances. [ 111 ] [ 112 ] [ 286 ] During the lead-up to the 1994 World Cup, he was besides initially employed by Italy ‘s director Arrigo Sacchi as a centre-forward, in a function known in italian football slang as centravanti di manovra ( which literally translates to “ manoeuvring centre-forward ” ), which was a harbinger to the modern false-nine function ; in this position, Baggio was expected to link-up with other players and create chances for them, in addition to creating space with his movement by dropping deep into midfield, and allowing the team ‘s wingers to cut inside and make assaultive runs into the center. [ 287 ] A prolific goalscorer, [ 288 ] Baggio was an accurate finisher from both inside and outside the area, and was known for his accurate bend shots and composure in front of goal, rather than his exponent. due to his excellent technique, he was a accurate volleyer, and he had a preference for scoring from bit shots. furthermore, he was besides a set man specialist, who was highly regarded for his ball manner of speaking from dead-ball situations, equally well as his preciseness from calculate free-kicks and his ability to curl the ball, which earned him a repute as one of the best absolve kick back takers of his generation. [ nota bene 5 ] His free-kick technique influenced respective early players who came to be renowned for their art from dead-ball situations, [ 293 ] such as Alessandro Del Piero [ 304 ] and Andrea Pirlo. [ 305 ] During his meter with Juventus, his unblock kick proficiency was described as a cross between that of Maradona ‘s, Zico ‘s, and Platini ‘s, as at the time, his ball-striking proficiency was thought to resemble Platini ‘s, although, like Zico and Maradona, he preferred to take free kicks from conclude crop, normally from a distance of around 20 to 16 metres from the finish, or even barely outside the area, and to have the ball touched by a teammate first before striking it. [ 306 ] Despite his decisive miss in the 1994 World Cup final gunfight, Baggio was besides a penalty kick specialist. [ 209 ] [ 307 ] Although naturally right-footed, [ 308 ] Baggio was comfortable using either foot, [ 268 ] and often began dribbling with his left foot. [ 308 ] not particularly imposing physically, or in the air travel, due to his bantam stature and lissome physique, [ 6 ] [ 288 ] [ 309 ] [ 310 ] [ 311 ] he was known however for his pace and acceleration over curtly distances, which, along with his drift, position, anticipation, technical ability, quick feet, depleted center of gravity, and resulting agility, [ 6 ] [ 312 ] [ 313 ] [ 314 ] [ 315 ] allowed him to lose his markers when making dysphemistic runs into the area, both on and off the ball. [ 269 ] [ 312 ] [ 314 ] [ 316 ] [ 317 ] Regarded as one of the greatest dribblers ever, [ 318 ] [ 319 ] [ 320 ] [ 321 ] [ 322 ] [ 323 ] and as one of the most technically achieve players of all-time, [ niobium 6 ] Baggio possessed an excellent first touch, [ 271 ] [ 325 ] [ 329 ] and was renowned for his adept drivel, ball restraint and libra, angstrom well as his spatial awareness, focal ratio of think and execution, reactions, close dominance at pace, and ability to beat opponents with flair, torso feints or sudden changes of yard or guidance, both in one-on-one situations, or during individual drivel runs. [ niobium 7 ] Zico once described Baggio as “ technically flawless, ” [ 102 ] while in 2004, Sacchi stated : “ Baggio is creativity, flair, unpredictability, intuition, harmony. ” [ 336 ] In 2016, Rob Smyth of The Guardian praised Baggio for his “ natural news, ” when commenting on his bring style, besides describing him as a “ conductor ” on the lurch “ who knew when and how to change the tempo of an attack. ” [ 337 ]

reception [edit ]

Considered by pundits to be a highly promise prospect in his youth, [ 338 ] [ 339 ] Baggio late established himself as one of the best players of his generation, [ 249 ] [ 324 ] [ 340 ] [ 341 ] and as one of Italy ‘s greatest players ever ; [ 266 ] [ 342 ] Baggio is regarded by many in the sport, including his early Milan director Fabio Capello, as the best italian football player of all-time, [ niobium 8 ] and by some in the fun, as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. [ 12 ] [ 17 ] italian journalist Gianni Brera, who had observed both Giuseppe Meazza and Gianni Rivera, stated that Baggio was the best italian player he had ever seen. [ 26 ] During his time at Juventus, the baseball club ‘s former chair, Gianni Agnelli, referred to Baggio as an “ artist ”, [ 346 ] comparing his elegance to the painter Raffaello, while he described the emerging talent Alessandro Del Piero as Pinturicchio. [ 15 ] [ 19 ] In a 2011 interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Del Piero stated that Baggio, along with Zinedine Zidane, was the best player with whom he had always played, [ 249 ] a opinion shared by Baggio ‘s mate former Juventus teammate Angelo Peruzzi [ 347 ] and his former Brescia teammate Pep Guardiola in 2010, [ 348 ] a well as his erstwhile Inter teammate Javier Zanetti in 2020, [ 349 ] while Matthew Le Tissier named Baggio as his best always adversary in 2012. [ 340 ] In 2017, Baggio ‘s former teammate Ravanelli rather labelled Baggio as the greatest player of all fourth dimension. [ 18 ] In 1993, Giampiero Boniperti stated that he believed that Baggio was “ already one of the greatest act tens ever. ” [ 286 ] In 2018, Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail described Baggio play in the 1994 World Cup as “ the best player in the world ” at the time, [ 350 ] while The Guardian described him as “ [ thyroxine ] he definitive player of the decade ”, besides adding that “ the 1990s belonged to Il Divin Codino ”, and labelled him as “ probably the finest player in the global between 1992 and 1995. ” [ 351 ] In 2015, Les Carpenter of The Guardian described Baggio as “ possibly the greatest player of his time, ” [ 352 ] while his colleague Emmet Gates dubbed him “ the best actor of his generation. ” [ 353 ] In 2010, Marco Gori of TuttoMercatoWeb labelled Baggio as “ one of the best footballers in history. ” [ 354 ] Throughout his career, initiate Gianni Brera compared his playing stylus to that of italian erstwhile football player Giuseppe Meazza, [ 177 ] [ 355 ] while coach Trapattoni rather compared Baggio ‘s technical characteristics to other early number 10s such as Zico, Platini, and Juan Alberto Schiaffino. [ 59 ] In 2017, Baggio received praise from numerous sporting figures and pundits ahead of his fiftieth birthday, with Stefano Edel of La Gazzetta di Mantova describing Baggio as “ the italian Maradona ”, and echoing Sacchi ‘s words prior to the 1994 World Cup, when he compared Baggio ‘s importance to Italy with that of Maradona to Argentina. [ 356 ] Zico described him as “ one of the best players in the history of italian football ”, [ 357 ] while Tommaso Pellizzari of Il Corriere della Sera called him “ the greatest pure endowment of italian football. ” [ 358 ] James McHie of Calciomercato.com alternatively named him as Italy ‘s greatest actor, calling him “ the greatest musician [ … ] to pull on the Azzurri shirt ”, [ 359 ] a scene shared by Stefano Discreti of Mediaset, who called Baggio “ the best italian football player of all prison term ” in 2019. [ 360 ] besides in 2017, Giuseppe Bergomi described Baggio as “ extraordinary ” and as a “ pure endowment ”, who was “ devastating when he played because he was able of deciding games on his own. ” [ 361 ] In 2004, Gianni Rivera described him as “ one of the greatest italian footballers ever. ” [ 285 ] In 2019, Marco Gentile of Il Giornale described Baggio as “ one of the best italian [ … ] players in the history of football ”, and besides as “ one of the best players in the history of world football. ” [ 362 ] In 2020, Luca Stamerra of Eurosport described him as one of the “ best number 10s in the history of this sport. ” [ 363 ] In 2019, his former Italy director Dino Zoff listed Baggio as one of the best players he ever coached, [ 364 ] while his erstwhile Fiorentina coach Sven-Göran Eriksson named him as the most talented musician he had ever coached aboard Wayne Rooney in 2021, commenting : “ He had everything : incredible proficiency, sight, pace. ” [ 365 ] In 2019, author Paolo Condò ranked Baggio among the greatest players of all time, [ 366 ] a view shared by Emmanuel Amunike in 2020 [ 367 ] vitamin a well as Roberto Mancini and John Keilman of the Chicago Tribune, who both described Baggio as one of the “ all-time greats ” in 2018 and 2019, respectively. [ 368 ] [ 369 ] Former RAI observer Bruno Pizzul, who served as a initiate for the Italy home team ‘s World Cup matches between 1986 and 2002, named Baggio as his darling musician, [ 370 ] and as one of the best footballers he always saw, among both italian and non-Italian players. [ 371 ] [ 372 ] In 2020, Matteo Marani of La Stampa dubbed Baggio as “ one of the purest expressions of talent that populace football has produced ”, besides adding “ Roberto was the game of football in its purity. The beauty of one of his technical gestures, the milled movements, the accelerate of remember. Throughout his career he painted football, filling the eyes of those who were passionate about this sport and not only of the fans of the clubs whose shirts he tire. Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Inter, Brescia and the italian national team enjoyed his endowment, his potency and his goals. Roberto Baggio is undoubtedly one of the names that made football great. ” [ 373 ] Known for his disfavor of the defensive, physical and tactical nature of italian football in the 1990s, Baggio drew criticism from sealed pundits and some of his managers for his limited defensive work-rate when possession was lost, [ 78 ] [ 156 ] [ 374 ] [ 375 ] equally well as the fact that the athletic separate of his game was not his main focus during educate sessions in his youth, [ 376 ] while in his late career, his physical ailments much forced him to train independently with a personal seaworthiness coach and physical therapist, rather than with his team ; as such, Baggio ‘s Milan coach Capello believed that he was not capable of playing for 90 minutes, due to the precarious physical condition of his knees. [ 109 ] [ 377 ] [ 378 ] [ 379 ] Luigi Simoni, one of his bury managers, lauded Baggio for his work-rate in trail, stating in 2009 that he would do up to six or seven hours of gymnasium work a day under his tenure, [ 380 ] a view which was besides shared by Baggio ‘s former Bologna teammate Daniele Carnasciali in 2013. [ 381 ] Carlo Mazzone and Gianni De Biasi, his managers at Brescia, ampere well as his former teammates Luca Toni and Emanuele Filippini, besides praised Baggio for his discipline, professionalism, and dedication in training during his time with the golf club, with De Biasi calling him “ an example. ” [ 378 ] [ 382 ] [ 383 ] [ 384 ] Known to be an introvert in the media, due to his quieten private life and reluctance to give interviews, some in the sport, including Gianni Rivera, argued that Baggio lacked leadership qualities on the pitch, despite having served as captain for both Juventus and Brescia. His personality is thought to have limited him from being more successful, in particular with larger clubs, with some pundits alternatively arguing that he excelled more with smaller teams ; others alternatively believed that he had a unmanageable character due to his disagreements with respective of his managers throughout his career, [ nota bene 9 ] although he was broadly regarded as a “ discipline ” and co-operative musician by officials, [ 386 ] [ 387 ] and as a classy and well-behaved football player in the media. [ 388 ] Mazzone besides said of him : “ Baggio was one of the greatest italian football players of all time. But I can tell you this, he was an flush greater man. He was quiet, civil, respectful, humble. He never let his great talent consider on anyone else. He was a supporter who helped me win games on a Sunday. ” [ 342 ] In 1995, Fabio Capello described Baggio as a actor who was “ decisive. ” [ 389 ] His former teammate Andrea Pirlo alternatively commented that “ [ Baggio ] was a silent drawing card, and above all, he was a leader on the pitch. When he played for the team, he made you win the games ”, [ 342 ] besides former describing him as a player who “ carried his teammates. ” [ 390 ] Despite his talent, success, popularity with the fans, and reputation as one of the greatest players of all time, critical reception of Baggio was occasionally divided throughout his career ; this was in separate due to his recurring injury struggles, ampere well as the fact that tactically certain managers struggled to find a desirable dally military position for him. His role as a playmaker between the midfield and forward lines, a well as his adept and creative toy style, were much regarded as being disused in modern football, in which managers frequently favoured the practice of the 4–4–2 geological formation and a more athletic approach to the game ; furthermore, while Baggio was not an outright forward, he was besides thought to lack the stamina to play in midfield, which made him less suited to this detail system, and occasionally led him to be excluded by his managers, although he was ultimately able to adapt to playing as a ahead efficaciously. Baggio ‘s unique act position, style, and approach to the game, combined with his talent, limit work-rate, and wound struggles, led him to have both many admirers and several detractors. [ niobium 10 ] Maradona once described Baggio as “ a genius ” but besides as “ a bang-up player who was never able to fulfil his integral likely ”, something with which Michel Platini concurred, while Pelé rather called him a “ legend. ” [ 265 ] [ 292 ] [ 396 ] deoxyadenosine monophosphate 1994 article on Baggio by The Independent stated : “ Among professionals, [ Baggio ] is regarded as the best ”, quoting Ryan Giggs, who said : “ You look to Roberto Baggio, and you realise what a full actor looks like. ” however, the newspaper besides went on to say that “ Baggio ‘s is a brittle influence. There are no half measures in his free rein. He is either brilliant, or he disappears, looking confused and unhappy. Since Juventus ‘s whole form of play depends on him, his disappearances can be slippery. The weigh has interpreted his incompatibility as a lack of commitment. ” [ 214 ] In 2015, The Daily Telegraph accused him of going “ missing in big games. ” In 2020, Daniel Story of Planet Football stated he believed that Baggio was one of the most underestimate players of the by 30 years. [ 398 ] In 2016, Luke Chandley of The Huffington Post described Baggio as “ italian football ‘s capital oxymoron ”, noting : “ For all the skill he possessed going fore, he was the face-to-face of the reputation given to italian football spanning across his whole career. italian football was defensive know-how and structure play. ” [ 15 ] His early coach Arrigo Sacchi believed that Baggio was often misused by his coaches, and that he would have been an even greater musician had he been born abroad, [ 399 ] a view which was besides held by journalist Mattia Losi, who felt that Baggio would have been more appreciate had he been born in Brazil or Argentina, rather than in a area with a football bequest like Italy ‘s, which often failed to recognise young local talent, [ 396 ] and Emmet Gates, who said in 2013 that “ Baggio unfortunately was born in the wrong state, or rather, he was born in Italy at the amiss time. ” [ 77 ] Regarding this contrast and Baggio ‘s overall career, Tim Collings of The Guardian described him as “ Italy ‘s greatest actor of fantasia ” in 2004 but besides wrote : “ Baggio ‘s record, as a player for club and state, fails to match his repute. He is less known for his acts of capital achiever than for his injuries, his misfortunes and his courage ; he is an artist in sport whose work is appreciated but no long used in modern currentness. Baggio ‘s career is filled by cameo of reverend skill, finical games when his resource and ability enabled his team to transcend all normal expectations. Yet the lasting memory will be of his miss penalty in the gunfight at the conclusion of the 1994 World Cup final in Pasadena. ” [ 400 ] In 2017, Antonio Martelli of La Presse described Baggio as “ one of the greatest italian players of all time possibly the best of the last thirty years ”, and as “ an “ authentic champion who could have been even greater without a series of extremely dangerous stifle injuries that undermined his career since its dawn ”, [ 401 ] a view shared by Raffaele Di Fusco, who said “ who knows what he could have become without all of those injuries ”, [ 402 ] and besides Renzo Ulivieri, who stated that “ if he had had fewer injuries, he would have won more. ” [ 280 ] In 2018, Greg Murray of Football Italia described Baggio as “ one of the greatest football players of all time ” but besides lamented that “ we never saw him at full seaworthiness and are fortunate we got to enjoy him at all. ” He summarised Baggio ‘s career with the pursuit : “ It is possibly one of football ’ s great injustices that Il Divin Codino is best known globally for his penalty miss in the Final of the 1994 World Cup against Brazil. For fans of Serie A, Baggio is recognised as the best of his generation, despite a career that was blighted by wound and clashes with his Coaches. ” He besides added : “ Retiring in 2004, it has been suggested that Baggio was a victim of the era in which he lived. As musician with transcendent creativity, but physically fragile, he struggled to fit into his Coaches ’ plans during a meter when tactics and hard ferment were everything. Had he been born in the current earned run average, where players are far more protected, he would possibly have achieved even more. It ‘s heart-breaking to think what we missed out on, but we ’ re besides grateful to have experienced the Divine Ponytail at all. ” [ 17 ] Baggio ‘s career was affected by many serious injuries, which led to a gradual personnel casualty of yard and mobility as his career progressed, adenine good as increasing weight-gain in the concluding years of his career, which finally forced him to undergo a trail regimen in order to build muscle mass in his legs and prolong his career during his time at Brescia ; his continual physical struggles ultimately led him to retire in 2004, which he by and by described as a “ liberation. ” Since suffering his first series of career-threatening injuries with Vicenza and Fiorentina in 1985 and 1986, respectively, he was prone to haunting knee problems in particular, which often limited his act time ; [ nb 11 ] injuries led certain pundits, such as Benedetto Ferrara of La Repubblica in 2010, to label Baggio as a “ superfine endowment ” but who was besides “ discrepant. ” In 1995, Maurizio Crosetti, Ferrara ‘s colleague, had previously described Baggio as “ delicate. ” [ 405 ] [ 406 ] Regarding the injuries that threatened his career as a child, and which haggled him until he retired, Baggio wrote in his 2001 autobiography that “ all of my professional career, I played it with a stage and a half. Thousands of hours of bring to keep alive a leg which, if it were up to her, would diminish each sidereal day. I played it without being in full all right, ever, because if I were to play matches only when I felt one-hundred percentage I would play three matches a year. ” [ 396 ] Despite the numerous physical impairments he faced throughout his career, Baggio besides stood out for his longevity, and was able to maintain a systematically high level of performance even in the final examination years of his career with Brescia into his late 30s. [ 392 ] [ 394 ] [ 407 ] [ 408 ] In 2004, Sacchi praised Baggio for his strength of character, which he believed evening surpassed his talent, as it allowed him to overcome his injuries and physical struggles, and ultimately “ win [ his ] personal battles against bad fortune. ” [ 336 ] In 2017, Capello noted that Baggio had the extraordinary self-control to carry on playing despite his physical struggles. [ 379 ] Baggio attributes his inner intensity to Buddhism. [ 409 ]

bequest [edit ]

Baggio ‘s Italy jersey is preserved in the Football Museum in Florence Considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all-time, [ 12 ] [ 17 ] [ 410 ] Baggio came fourthly in the 1999 FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, [ 20 ] and was ranked 16th in World Soccer’s list of the 100 greatest footballers of the twentieth century, the highest rank italian player ; [ 411 ] in IFFHS ‘s election for the best actor of the twentieth century in the lapp class, he was elected the ninth-best Italian player and the 53rd-best european player of the Century. [ 412 ] He was voted Italy ‘s player of the century in 2000. [ 256 ] In 2002, Baggio was elected to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, [ 21 ] and in 2003, he was the inaugural winner of the Golden Foot award, awarded for ability and personality. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the populace ‘s greatest exist players, [ 22 ] and was voted 24th in the on-line UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, celebrating the best european footballers of the past 50 years. [ 414 ] In 2010, Baggio was named one of the 50 greatest Juventus legends. [ 94 ] In 2011, he was the beginning football player to be inducted into the italian Football Hall of Fame. [ 415 ] In a 2014 FIFA poll, Baggio was voted the ninth-greatest number 10 of all-time, [ 14 ] [ 416 ] and late that class he was ranked 24th in The Guardian’ south list of the 100 greatest World Cup players of all-time, ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. [ 417 ] In 2015, journalists of La Gazzetta dello Sport elected the greatest italian player of all fourth dimension, with Baggio finishing in second place behind only Gianni Rivera ; [ 418 ] in a fan poll that was subsequently organised by the newspaper, Baggio was rather voted as the greatest italian football player of all time, [ 419 ] while Majid Mohamed of UEFA ranked him as the twentieth-best actor ever not to have won the UEFA Champions League. [ 420 ] That same year, The Daily Telegraph besides included Baggio at count 12 in their list of “ The top 20 overrated football players of all time. ” FourFourTwo placed Baggio at issue 52 in their 2017 list of the “ 100 Greatest Footballers ever ” and besides named Baggio in 2019 as the sixth best player never to win the UEFA Champions League. [ 421 ] In July 2019, the same magazine ranked Baggio at number ten in their list of the “ 101 greatest football players of the last 25 years. ” [ 422 ] In 2020, Jack Gallagher of 90min.com place Baggio at number nine in his list of “ The 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time ”, [ 423 ] while Sky Sports ranked him as the fifth-best actor ever never to have won the Champions League or european Cup. [ 424 ]

Records and selected statistics [edit ]

Baggio played in 16 World Cup matches for Italy ; the Republic of Ireland is the only nation against which he played more than once. He is the joint-highest italian goalscorer of all-time in the World Cup, with nine goals, aboard Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri. [ 425 ] Baggio is the only italian to have scored in three World Cups ( two goals in 1990, five in 1994 and two in 1998 ). Three of his World Cup goals were scored in the group stage and six were scored during hard matches. [ 425 ] Baggio is the articulation fourth-highest scorer for Italy with 27 goals in 56 appearances, with a 0.48 goal per peer average. [ 426 ] With Baggio, Italy was constantly eliminated from the World Cup in penalty shootouts : in 1990, in the semi-finals against Argentina ; in 1994, in the final against Brazil ; and in 1998, in the quarter-finals against France. [ 427 ] Despite his decisive penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final examination shoot-out, Baggio is statistically one of the greatest punishment kick back specialists in italian football history, as he scored 85 % of his career penalties with only 19 misses, scoring 108 out of 127 penalties in official matches, the most in italian football history. [ 34 ] Baggio scored 10 with Vicenza, 25 with Fiorentina, 38 with Juventus, 5 with Milan, 11 with Bologna, 1 with Inter Milan, 11 with Brescia and 7 with Italy ( from 7 attempts, the most goals scored from the blot by a member of the national team ). [ 428 ] [ 429 ] 68 of his penalties were scored in Serie A, from 83 attempts, with an 82 % conversion rate, one of the best records in Serie A history. [ 430 ] [ 431 ] In Serie A, Baggio scored 17 penalties for Fiorentina ( from 19 attempts ), 25 for Juventus ( from 28 attempts ), 3 for Milan ( from 5 attempts ), 11 for Bologna ( from 11 attempts ), 1 for Inter Milan ( from 2 attempts ), and 11 for Brescia ( from 18 attempts ). [ 432 ] Baggio has scored penalties for six different Serie A golf club. [ 430 ] Four of his fifteen misses in Serie A were then scored on rebounds. Behind Totti, Baggio has scored the most penalties in Serie A history. [ 432 ] [ 433 ] [ 434 ] Of his early penalties, 8 were scored in Serie C ( from 8 attempts ), 8 in european competitions ( from 9 attempts ), and 17 in the Coppa Italia ( from 20 attempts ). In shoot-outs, Baggio converted three of four career penalties : one in the UEFA Cup with Fiorentina, and the other two with Italy at the World Cup ; [ 34 ] in World Cup shootouts, Baggio scored doubly ( 1990 and 1998 ), with his merely miss in 1994. [ 435 ] Although he never won the Serie A top goalscorer title, Baggio is presently the seventh all-time highest scorekeeper in Serie A, with 205 goals in 452 appearances. [ 2 ] [ 436 ] [ 437 ] Of these goals, 96 were decisive ( either equalisers or match winners ). [ 29 ] Alongside Totti, Baggio has besides scored the fourth-highest number of free-kicks in Serie A with 21 goals ; ahead of him are only Alessando Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, and Siniša Mihajlović. [ 438 ] [ 439 ] Of his open play goals in Serie A, 84 were with his veracious metrical foot, 26 with his left, and 6 were headers. [ 433 ] He besides assisted 123 goals in Serie A. [ 107 ] [ 440 ] He is the fourth-highest grade italian in all competitions, behind Del Piero, Giueseppe Meazza and Silvio Piola, with 318 professional career goals in 699 appearances. [ 426 ] [ nota bene 12 ] Alongside Totti and Alberto Gilardino, he has scored against the most different clubs ( 38 ) in Serie A. [ 441 ] With eight hat-tricks in Serie A, he has besides scored the joint-tenth most hat-tricks in the history of the Italian league, aboard Amedeo Amadei, Giampiero Boniperti, Hernán Crespo, and Marco van Basten. [ 442 ]

After retirement [edit ]

In August 2010, Baggio was appointed president of the technical sector of the italian Football Federation, replacing his former Italy national team coach Azeglio Vicini. [ 443 ] On 23 January 2013, Baggio stepped down from the position, stating the confederation had ignored his ideas about improving the system and focusing on youth talent, which prompted him to resign. [ 444 ] Baggio obtained his Italy Category 2 Coaching License ( UEFA A License ) in mid-2011, which made him eligible to coach Lega Pro teams, or work as vice-coach in Serie A and Serie B. [ 445 ] On 5 July 2012, Baggio obtained his category 1 UEFA Pro Coaching Licence at Coverciano, which officially allows him to coach a professional Serie A club. [ 446 ] [ 447 ]

personal life sentence [edit ]

After his career threatening injury in 1985, Baggio, once a Roman Catholic, converted to Buddhism, practicing Nichiren Buddhism, and is a member of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist constitution. [ 448 ] The captain ‘s armband that he wore throughout his career bore the colors of this religious educate ( amobarbital sodium, yellow, and bolshevik ) and the japanese motto “ We win. We must win ” in ideograms of the linguistic process. [ 214 ] [ 395 ] [ 449 ] Despite his conversion, he married his long-time girlfriend Andreina Fabbi in 1989 in a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony. They have a daughter, Valentina ( 1990 ), and two sons, Mattia ( 1994 ) and Leonardo ( 2005 ). [ 450 ] [ 451 ] between 1991 and 2012, Baggio was the owner of a sporting goods shop in Thiene, Vicenza, called Baggio Sport, which he was finally forced to close due to losses as a result of the 2008 receding. [ 452 ] In 2001, Baggio wrote an autobiography entitled Una porta nel cielo ( literally “ A Door in the Sky ”, besides known as “ A Goal in the Sky ” ), including details about his career, childhood, religion, personal life and rifts with managers. [ 453 ] [ 454 ] [ 455 ] It won the prize for best football book at the 2002 Serie A Awards. [ 34 ] Baggio has close ties with Argentina ; he speaks spanish and owns a ranch property in Rivera, where he enjoys hunting angry bet on. [ 52 ] In March 2008, he gave a drawn-out interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, in which he revealed that he came to support Argentine club Boca Juniors due to their passionate fanbase. [ 247 ]

philanthropy [edit ]

On 16 October 2002, Baggio was named a Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, [ 456 ] Through the administration, Baggio helped to fund hospitals, raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, lend to tackling shuttlecock influenza, and was involved in the burmese pro-democracy campaign, which supported the opposition drawing card Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her dismissal from prison. [ 52 ] Baggio was awarded the 2010 Man of Peace title in Hiroshima, presented by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in realization of his charitable shape and contribution to social judge and peace. [ 457 ] On 8 October 2008, Baggio appeared in a charity match between Milan and Fiorentina, which had been organised in honor of his former Fiorentina teammate Stefano Borgonovo to raise money for his basis, his treatment and for ALS inquiry. [ 458 ] In 2014, Baggio was one of the many celebrities to take separate in the “ ALS Ice Bucket Challenge “ to raise awareness about the disease and funds for ALS research. [ 459 ] On 1 September 2014, Baggio took region in the “ Match for Peace ”, which was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, with the proceeds being donated to charity. [ 460 ] Baggio set up Juan Iturbe ‘s finish and scored from a Diego Maradona assist. [ 461 ] On 25 October 2014, Baggio inaugurated in Milan the open of the largest buddhist temple in Europe. [ 462 ]

Media and popular culture [edit ]

In 1994, italian satirist Corrado Guzzanti parodied Baggio ‘s ad for italian Petrol Company IP anterior to the 1994 World Cup. [ 463 ] italian poet Giovanni Raboni composed the sonnet “ Lode a Baggio ” in a tribute to him. [ 464 ] He has been referenced in several songs, such as “ Baggio, Baggio ” by Lucio Dalla, [ 465 ] and “ Marmellata n. 25 “ by Cesare Cremonini. [ 466 ] Baggio has featured in two italian commercials which reference his ill-famed penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final examination. The first was made for WIND in 2000, and shows Baggio scoring the concluding punishment to win the tournament. [ 467 ] The second, made for Johnnie Walker in 2001, showed how he managed to conquer his grief from the miss by believing in himself and scoring the equalising penalty against Chile in the 1998 World Cup. [ 468 ] He has featured in several Diadora commercials, as he endorsed their products. [ 469 ] In July 2017, Diadora teamed up with Baggio once again to launch the fresh Signature Match Winner RB Capsule Collection. [ 272 ] [ 470 ] Baggio is democratic in Japan, and has held close ties with the area since his conversion to Buddhism. [ 471 ] He has endorsed respective japanese football television games, such as Super Formation Soccer 95: della Serie A, [ 472 ] World Football Climax, [ 473 ] and Let’s Make a Soccer Team!. [ 474 ] [ 475 ] An enliven translation of himself appeared in the japanese football cartoon Captain Tsubasa, best known in Italy as Che Campioni: Holly & Benji. [ 476 ] In the Channel 4 situation comedy Father Ted, Baggio ( and Alessandro Costacurta ) is mentioned during the 1995 episode “ Grant Unto Him Eternal Rest “ by Father Dougal McGuire ( portrayed by Ardal O’Hanlon ), who, when prompted to say the last rites in Latin, ends up saying the footballers ‘ names. ( This stems from Graham Linehan and O’Hanlon being fans of Football Italia ). [ 477 ] In the music video for the 2010 World Cup song “ Waka Waka ( This time for Africa ) “ by Shakira, [ 478 ] footage of Baggio ‘s goal against Spain and his penalty miss from the 1994 World Cup are shown. [ 478 ] Throughout his career, Baggio has been nicknamed the Divin’ Codino ( “ Divine Ponytail ” in italian, a reference point to the iconic hairdo he wore for a big separate of his career adenine well as his play ability and Buddhist beliefs ) and Robi, or Roby, by his fans. [ 479 ] An alter-ego of his is referenced in the italian children ‘s comics of “ Mickey Mouse “ and “ Duck Tales “ ( Topolino ) in the volume Topolino e il Giallo alla World Cup in which he is known as Roberto Paggio. [ 480 ] In 2011, italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport issued a solicitation of DVDs entitled Io Che Sarò Roberto Baggio recounting his career. [ 481 ] Baggio ‘s impingement on football has been celebrated with the release of an on-line crippled called Baggio’s Magical Kicks, in which players try to replicate his accuracy on free-kicks and penalties. [ 483 ] In 2015, the arcade game company Konami announced Baggio would feature in their football video crippled Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 as one of the raw myClub Legends. [ 484 ] On 3 August 2018, EA Sports announced on their official Twitter report that Baggio would feature in EA Sports ‘ football television crippled FIFA 19 as one of the new Ultimate Team Icons. [ 485 ] In 2019, Netflix announced the development of a documentary on Roberto Baggio in partnership with Mediaset. [ 486 ] In March 2021, Netflix released the preview of a documentary film on Baggio ‘s career, entitled Baggio: The Divine Ponytail, which was released on 26 May 2021 ; Andrea Arcangeli portrayed Baggio. [ 487 ]

career statistics [edit ]

golf club [edit ]

International [edit ]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[4][492]

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

Italy

1988
1
0

1989
6
3

1990
9
4

1991
2
1

1992
7
6

1993
7
5

1994
12
5

1995
1
0

1996
–
–

1997
2
1

1998
6
2

1999
2
0

2000
–
–

2001
–
–

2002
–
–

2003
–
–

2004
1
0

Total
56
27

Scores and results list Italy’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Baggio goal.

Honours [edit ]

Notes [edit ]

References [edit ]

bibliography [edit ]

Baggio, Roberto (2001). Una porta nel cielo [A goal in the sky] (in Italian). Arezzo: Limina Edizioni. pp. 49–59. ISBN 88-88551-92-1.
Nappi, Raffaele (2018). Roberto Baggio. Divin codino [Roberto Baggio. Divine ponytail] (in Italian). Rome: Giulio Perrone Editore. ISBN 978-88-6004-465-5.