Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio is an unclassifiable footballer. Gifted as Johan Cruyff, and having a strong character in the style of Eric Cantona, will always remain in the annals of senior soccer as a special case. Codino Il Divino ("the divine ponytail '), an atypical player who came within a penalty kick of the supreme glory, he gained a place as a true legend of Italian football.Roberto Baggio's story is an extraordinary striker by nature, however, had to show off a fantastic opportunity to be imposed on the basis of sacrifice and suffering, because of recurring injuries to his right knee courage. It was an

instinct player, which made up for the not particularly big (1.74 ft 73 kilos) with an unmatched individual technique and unusual when reading the game intelligence. Elegant Baggio for his entire career in Italy, since his debut in the Lanerossi Vicenza (in 1982 in the Italian third division) until hanging up his boots in Brescia in 2004.For all over the world, tens of thousands of tifosi succumbed to the charms of this atypical brain striker, who scored 205 goals in Serie A. "Baggio is not a 'nine', but not a 'ten'. It is a 'nine and a half,' "noted at the time Michel Platini, the current UEFA president, speaking of the beginning of his successor as director of Juventus game.Italy at his feetBaggio, Caldogno birthplace, a small town of the Veneto, made his first steps in football minor categories Lanerossi Vicenza. There he got a whopping 110 goals in 120 games, which also served to debut two years later in the first team, with just 15. However, in the final game of the 1984/85 season, against Rimini (who at the time was training a certain Arrigo Sacchi), suffered a serious injury to his right knee. After a long rehabilitation, he took a year and a half back to the pitch. It was the first chapter of a string of injuries, with each relapse, would jeopardize the rest of his career.

During that long period of decline, the player went through a deep spiritual crisis and finally decided to convert to Buddhism. "That helped me to better control my thoughts," said the fervent Buddhist that before games meditation sessions delivered alone.Over five seasons, Baggio went on to defend the colors of Fiorentina (39 goals in 94 games). The Fiore had previously signed his injury, and agreed to wait 18 months before I saw him debut. A gesture that the front would never forget, so much so that in April 1991, in his first season at Juventus, refused to take a penalty against Viola before going to greet his former tifosi, who had poorly digested his move to Turin.The five seasons at Juve were the consecration and recognition of his talent, with the conquest of a league, an Italian Cup and UEFA Cup, in addition to the captaincy, a title of World Player FIFA 78 goals and international consolidation. But after returning from the World Cup 1994, he re-injured after having scored a goal against Padua. In his five months in dry dock, attended impotent hatching of a young talent who the new coach, Marcello Lippi, preferred: a certain Alessandro Del Piero ...Against the will of the Bianconeri fans, Baggio was transferred to Milan, where partner in attack on George Weah and Dejan Savicevic, a second consecutive scudetto won. However, despite their goals, their technique and exquisite ball control, progression continued to be hampered by his knee, and a

misunderstanding by various coaches. "There is no place for poets in modern football," snapped Oscar Washington Tabarez when, at the dawn of the 1996/97 season, Baggio complained about not being used enough.After a successful spell at Bologna, where he scored 23 goals in the 1997/98 (the best total of his career), had a less prominent stage at Inter Milan, between 1998 and 2000. Finally, Baggio would spend their last four seasons as a player at Brescia, which remained in Serie A with 45 goals in 95 matches. The May 16, 2004, five minutes of the conclusion of the Milan-Brescia (4-2) walked off the pitch for the last time while everything San Siro, he stood and paid him a standing ovation.The Curse of the criminalHis career with the Azzurri was also marked by a relationship of love and hate. After a successful debut against the Netherlands (1-0), in November 1988, he signed his first international goal on April 22, 1989, with a superb free-kick against Uruguay. During the FIFA World Cup 1990 Italy, Azeglio Vicini started him sit on the bench. After get in the last match of the first phase, against Czechoslovakia, scored a goal anthology, to depart from his own half to get rid of half the opposing team. It was the prettiest goal of the championship, and one of the best ever World Cup.However, only entered the game 73 minutes into the semifinal, he settled with loss to Argentina in a penalty shootout. "Vicini said I looked tired. If I was 23! I have eaten the grass as the holder in that game, "lamented Baggio. To console, put another goal in the match for third place against England (2-1).Four years later, in America, Baggio reached the peak of his art. His many vital

in the final minutes of games against Nigeria and Spain, plus his two goals in the semifinal against Bulgaria, catapulted to global three-time champions to the final. But Roby was submitted to Brazil touched to the point of having to be infiltrated before the game. After 120 minutes of a dull party, was the last man who took his run from the spot in new penalties. However, his shot went over the bar, ending the Italian hopes. "I was there in body and spirit, and my concentration was perfect. But I felt so exhausted I chose to throw to break, "he said.

Symbolically, after four years, began in France its third World Cup finals scoring the penalty equalizer against Chile, having served both the first Christian Vieri. However, 30 years after the rivalry Sandro Mazzola-Gianni Rivera in Mexico, Cesare Maldini opted to resolve the dilemma between Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero alternating in ownership. Still, Baggio scored against Austria his ninth goal in the finals, and this time turned its launch in the shootout against France in the quarterfinals. Nevertheless, the Azzurri returned to be felled on that fateful launch.In 2002, the king of the comebacks came to entertain the dispute of a fourth World Cup finals, as was getting a goal after another in Brescia. But Giovanni Trapattoni, despite the pressure of public opinion, not selected, and Italy were eliminated in the second round.The May 15, 2004, Roby hung up his boots and set about its task of Goodwill Ambassador of the FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture). Thus, toured the world to defend important humanitarian causes, until, in November 2010, received the prestigious Hiroshima World Peace Award, awarded by the assembly of Nobel Peace Prize. "Compared with this award, other personal and professional successes crave insignificant" then said Baggio.But Baggio has never left the entire Italian football and, after the failure of the Nazionale in South Africa, in August 2010 accepted the post of head of the technical department of the Italian Football Association, with special attention to the training of young players .A return to unanimity raised in Italy, yet reminiscent of the exploits of this player who broke the mold.