ROBERTO Baggio was one of the most recognisable footballers in the World in the 80s and 90s.
He helped Italy to a World Cup Final in 1994, before a shocking miss which defined his career. Here’s what we know about Roberto Baggio.
Who is Roberto Baggio?
Roberto Baggio is a former footballer, who played the entirety of his career in Italy.
Baggio’s nickname was the divine ponytail, which related to the hairstyle he had for most of his career, and his Buddhist beliefs.
He played for Italy’s three most successful clubs, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, winning two Serie A titles over the course of his career.
In 1993, Baggio helped Juventus to win the UEFA cup, scoring two goals in the first leg of the final against Borussia Dortmund.
READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
That year, he was named FIFA World player of the year and received the Ballon d’or.
He became the first Italian to score at three different World Cups in 1998, after scoring in 1990 and 1994.
What happened to Roberto Baggio?
In 1994, Italy reached the FIFA World cup final in the USA, where they would play Brazil.
The game finished goalless after 90 minutes, and the two teams could not be separated after 30 minutes of extra time, which led to a penalty shootout.
Most read in Football
The score was 3-2 to the South Americans after nine penalties with Baggio stepping up needing to convert to continue the shootout.
After a long runup, the Italian sent goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel the wrong way, but saw his penalty fly high over the crossbar, handing Brazil their fourth World cup.
Baggio has since said that the miss was the worst moment of his career, and effected him for years afterwards.
In the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Baggio stepped up to take his first penalty since the 1994 final, in a group stage match against Chile.
This time, the Italian ace scored, an experience which he described as “liberating.”
What is Roberto Baggio doing now?
After retiring from football, Baggio became president of the technical sector of the Italian football federation in 2010.
He resigned from this role in 2013 as he suggested that the federation had ignored his ideas about focusing on youth talent.
Outside of football, Baggio has been praised for his charity work, becoming a UN ambassador in 2002 and helping to raise money for areas affected by earthquakes and illnesses.
Is Roberto Baggio married and does he have any children?
He married long-term girlfriend Andreina Fabbi in 1989
They have a daughter, Valentina, who was born in 1990, as well as two sons, Mattia, born in 1994 and Leonardo, born in 2005.
Read More on The Sun
What is Roberto Baggio’s net worth?
Baggio is believed to have a net worth of over £10million.
This came from the various clubs he represented in his career, as well as from multiple sponsorship deals.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
