Roberto Baggio

Tthough Italy has given many great players to the football world, the name of Roberto Baggio stands above all the others. Baggio was as complete a player as you could get: in addition to his dribbling skills, technical prowess, and play-making ability, he was a gifted goalscorer from both open play and set pieces. He was also known for his Buddhist beliefs and his signature ponytail from which he got his nickname.

Biography

The Fiorentina Days

After proving himself with the lower-division club Vicenza, Baggio caught the eye of Fiorentina. Despite the fact that he shattered his ACL before the transfer was finalized, the Fiorentina officials retained the faith in him and decided to fund his surgery. Though several doctors believed he would never be able to play football again, Baggio recovered and made his Serie A debut on 21 September 1986.

During the following four years, Baggio became one of Fiorentina's best and most popular players of all time. Though club success was proving elusive, Baggio's distinctive ponytail quickly became famous throughout all of Italy. After saving Fiorentina from relegation on multiple occasions, many pundits started calling him the best "number 10" in the country.

At the 1990 World Cup, Baggio continued to perform strongly. Despite mostly being used as a substitute, he had a major influence in Italy capturing the bronze medal. At this tournament, he's best remembered for his goal against Czechoslovakia, which was later voted the goal of the tournament. After a quick exchange with Giannini, Baggio dribbled past several players, deceived the last one with a feint, and effortlessly put the ball past the goalkeeper.

The Penalty

Following his World Cup achievements, Baggio was sold to Juventus for a world-record fee of £8 million. This was met with riots in the streets of Florence, forcing Baggio to state that he was compelled to accept the transfer. In 1991, he refused to take the penalty against his former club, which eventually led to Juventus losing the match. Still, he continued to improve as a player, eventually becoming the team captain and leading Juventus to a UEFA Cup title in 1993.

Baggio arrived at the 1994 World Cup in fine shape, having been Italy's top scorer during the qualifiers. Following some relatively disappointing group stage performances, Baggio found his form in the knockout stages, scoring no less than 5 goals on the way to the finals. After the final match against Brazil finished 0-0 in regular time, Baggio took the decisive penalty in the resulting shootout; however, his kick went over the bar. Despite his achievements, it was this moment that ultimately defined Baggio's career.

Later Career and Legacy

Despite missing most of the 1994/95 season, Baggio helped Juventus win a Serie A championship and a Coppa Italia trophy that year. After that, he went on to play for Milan, Bologna, Inter, and Brescia before finishing his career in 2004. He also got to play at the 1998 World Cup, where Italy was eventually defeated in the quarter-finals by France. In a group match against Chile, Baggio stepped up and converted the penalty, equalizing the match. He later described the goal as "liberating."

Today, Baggio is considered one of the greatest football players of all time. In 1993, he won the Ballon d'Or and was selected as Player of the Year. In 2002, he was voted into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team. With 218 goals in 488 appearances in club football, Baggio is also the seventh-highest Serie A goalscorer of all time. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Italian football in 2011.

By Martin Wahl

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Baggio
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roberto-Baggio