Roberto baggio maradona biography

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.

Diego maradona biography world cup He scored his first goal in Serie C1 during the following season, on 3 June , from a penalty in a 3—0 win against Brescia , the club with which he retired in Cite this article:. In , Jack Gallagher of 90min. Tags: A.

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

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 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.

Roberto baggio maradona biography His performances earned him a place in Italy's World Cup squad. Baggio returned to the starting line-up in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio in Rome on 8 March , setting up Fabrizio Ravanelli's winner. Baggio made his UEFA Champions League debut in the —97 season, scoring his first goal in the competition, although Milan were eliminated in the group stage. In a FIFA poll, Baggio was voted the ninth-greatest number 10 of all time, and later that year he was ranked 24th in The Guardian' s list of the greatest World Cup players of all time, ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.

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.

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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 , 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

Baggio arrived at the 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.

Maradona hand of god He was thus made the club captain and was given the number 10 jersey. He is the sixth-highest Juventus goalscorer in the Coppa Italia with 14 goals, and is also the joint fourth all-time Juventus goalscorer in European competitions, as well as the joint fifth all-time Juventus goalscorer in international competitions, with 22 goals, alongside Anastasi once again. In a FIFA poll, Baggio was voted the ninth-greatest number 10 of all time, and later that year he was ranked 24th in The Guardian' s list of the greatest World Cup players of all time, ahead of the World Cup in Brazil. Alongside Totti and Alberto Gilardino , he has scored against the most different clubs 38 in Serie A.

After the final match against Brazil finished 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 /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 He also got to play at the 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.

Diego maradona biography He then transferred, in a millionaire transaction, exactly to Juventus, generating sadness and anger among the fanatical Fiorentina fans, who idolized him. Despite fears that he may not be able to play again, Florentina agreed to the transfer as far as he had the necessary surgery. During the four years under Baggio, Brescia recorded their best ever Serie A run and were never relegated. During the end of his final season at Vicenza, Baggio shattered both the anterior cruciate ligament ACL and the meniscus of his right knee while playing against Rimini on 5 May , while attempting a slide tackle.

In , he won the Ballon d'Or and was selected as Player of the Year. In , he was voted into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team. With goals in 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

By Martin Wahl

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