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Roberto Baggio “Giannini gives the ball to Baggio. A one-two with Baggio. Baggio cuts inside. Baggio, Baggio, Baggio - a feint by Baggio! He shoots! Grandissimo gol di Baggio!” This was how the Italian-speaking world first heard the Divine Ponytail make his presence felt on the international stage. Even the normally restrained voice of commentator Bruno Pizzul started to crack as the little Fiorentina player dribbled half the Czechoslovakian team to score for his country at Italia '90. An Azzurri legend had been born. For the rest of the decade - and beyond - the frail-looking champion from Caldogno was at the centre of most football discussions the length and breadth of Italy. He remains to this day one of the purest talents ever to kick a ball for his country. He was also one of the game's most intriguing characters. Although he played for all three of Italy's biggest sides, none of them ever quite took him to their heart. At Juventus President Gianni Agnelli once famously described him as a “drowned rabbit”. In a football world already obsessed with physique and stamina they could find little place for his sublime skills. It was only when he went back to smaller clubs - like the one where he made his reputation - that he truly thrived. It is easy to forget just how much of a role he played in dragging Italy to the Final of the 1994 World Cup. If it had not been for his pinpoint finish against Nigeria their tournament might have ended there. It was unfair that one of the greatest penalty takers in the history of the Italian game should end up blasting his most important spot-kick over the bar. Be it with the big guns, however, or with Brescia, Bologna or Fiorentina, he was always worth watching. Having fought back from critical knee surgery as a teenager, we were lucky to see him play for as long as he did. When he retired from the game there was not a dry eye in the house. In terms of silverware his rewards were not, perhaps, as great as they might have been, but few players made a bigger mark on the Italian game in the 1990s. His raggedy ponytail, his Buddhist beliefs and amazing scoring record for someone who was not an out-and-out striker made him a unique figure. “It is not a mirage, it's Roberto Baggio!” they used to sing in a pop song dedicated to the great man. He was certainly one of the most pleasant visions ever to grace Serie A and the Nazionale.

Words: Giancarlo Rinaldi

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