Roberto Baggio left the brightest mark in the history of world football. His game was enjoyed not only by Italian fans, but also by millions of fans from other countries, recognizing his extraordinary talent
Baggio Roberto: biography
The famous scorer of the 20th century, Roberto Baggio, went down in the history of world football thanks not so much to victories as to a spectacular game. Acting at number 10, the athlete performed the functions of a dispatcher, but easily switched to attacks. In his arsenal for 30 years of career - over 300 goals, 5 team titles and the "Golden Ball" awarded in 1993.
In addition, Baggio is a key name in the history of Italy's stunning bad luck in the penalties of the World Cup finals. Three times the national team found itself one step away from victory, three times the fate of the tournament was decided by a penalty shootout, and Italian footballers, including Roberto, missed three times. However, failures only added color to the biography of Baggio, one of the most memorable athletes of the last century.
Roberto Baggio has been playing football since childhood. He was born in the Italian city of Caldogno on February 18, 1967. In a family where, in addition to Roberto, seven of his brothers were brought up, football took a special place. From the age of seven, the boy went in for sports in the local team, performing in the junior squad.
Even then, the striker's talent showed itself: at the age of 13, in the match for Caldogno, Roberto scored 6 goals to his opponent. The result impressed the Vicenza scout present on the podium that he invited him to move to the provincial capital. For two seasons, the young man played for the youth squad of the team, and since 1982 he took his place in the main.
Club career
His first club was Vicenza, then playing in the C-1 series - the third division of Italian football. But he did not stay there for a long time.
Fiorentina
1985-1990
Already at the age of 18, Baggio became a Fiorentina player, and at 20, a firm footballer and leader of the club. For two seasons (1988-1989 and 1989-1990), in the Italian championship alone, Baggio scored more than 30 goals for the club.
It is clear that Fiorentina could not have retained a player of this magnitude, and on the eve of the Italians' home World Cup, Baggio's transfer to Juventus was formalized for a then record $ 14 million.
However, not all fans of "violets" understood the inevitability of the transition, it even came to street demonstrations, and the player was forced to explain to the fans that not everything in this deal depended on his desire.
The piquancy of the situation was given by the fact that after the announcement of the fact of the deal, Fiorentina was to play in the UEFA Cup final with Juventus. Despite all the efforts of Baggio, Fiorentina lost on aggregate 1: 3, which, however, reflected the real balance of power.
Juventus
1990-1995
The years spent at Juventus are perhaps the best in the career of a great footballer.
It was with the Turin club that Baggio won his first "scudetto", it was at that time that he received the "Golden Ball" of the best football player in Europe, and won the silver medal of the World Championship with the Italian national team.
Milan
1995-1997
Baggio proved to everyone the rashness of this decision, already in the first season he helped Milan regain the Scudetto they had lost a year earlier.
In Milan, Baggio's game has changed somewhat and faded - he began to score much less, and his game lost its former showiness and efficiency, so many of his transfer to Bologna was perceived as the beginning of the decline of the great football player.
Bologna
1997-1998
Baggio spent one season at this club. 22 goals in the matches of the national championship is the third indicator of the championship.
The bright game did not go unnoticed by the head coach of the Italian national team, Cesare Maldini, and, who was written off from the main team of the country, Roberto Baggio was included in the team's application for the 1998 World Cup.
Inter
1998-2000
After the World Cup, Baggio moved to Inter Milan, where he had a great first season, making an excellent attacking bunch with the Brazilian Ronaldo.
However, a year later, Inter was headed by an old friend of Baggio Marcello Lippi, and the Turin story repeated itself - Roberto lost his place in the starting lineup and left the club.
Brescia
2000-2004
Baggio spent the last four years of his career at the modest Brescia, where, however, he never dropped below the “10 goals per season” mark.
And his No. 10 jersey has been removed from the club forever.
Roberto Baggio titles
Team
- Silver medalist of the World Championship - 1.
- World Championship bronze medalist - 1.
- Champion of Italy - 2.
- UEFA Cup Winner - 1.
- Italian Cup Winner - 1.
Individual
- The "Golden Ball" of the best player in Europe (not the one that is now issued for 50 goals against the Eimars and Cordoba, beautiful hairstyles and appearances on the covers of glossy magazines, but the REAL one).
- The best footballer in Italy -3.
- The FIFA national team of all time.
Personal life
The footballer's wife is named Andreina Fabbi. In 1990, the couple had a daughter, she was named Valentina. In 1994, Valentina's brother Mattia was born. For the third time, Roberto became a father at 42. He is raising his son Leonardo, who was born in 2005. Baggio Roberto is a wonderful husband and father.
The legendary player has released an autobiography. In the Russian version, the book has alternative titles: "Ball in the Sky" and "Gate".
The footballer's religion is different from that of his compatriots: Baggio is a supporter of Buddhism. The player's nickname "Divine Ponytail" is associated with religious views and hairstyle. Baggio's height is 174 cm, weight - 73 kg. Sometimes Roberto is confused with his namesake - Italian midfielder Dino Baggio.
