As some of you may know, today was Roberto Baggio's 40th birthday.

For the first time in Italy they regarded him with the title as
Italy's All Time Greatest Player.

below is Baggio's letter to his fans from www.robertobaggio.com
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Hi everybody!
How are you? I hope everything’s fine. Here we are again together after three years. Who knows what you have done in this period? Probably many have married or have felt the joy to become father, as it happened to me. It is beautiful to see little Leonardo grewing up, he is 22 months old and kicks the ball with all his strenght. Leo plays with everybody and everything, but most of all he loves the ball.
At last I’m enjoying my family! I stay all day long with my wife and with my two other kids: Valentina and Mattia. I enjoy the role of a full time dad, it’s terrific. I have much more time to play and to spend time with friends. Friends and fellows that have been always by my side during my carrier.
We come back with the website after three years: my first three years as football spectator. We come back to repay your love, that it never lacked in this period and for that I thank you.
I don’t like to show myself in public, you know my attitude and behaviour; and speaking with my great friend and manager Vittorio Petrone, I thought that the website is the right tool.
I’ll send videos, I’ll write sometimes, I’ll be there.
We’ll try to speak of many matters and about this I give you a tip.
Which emotions did you feel in this period…do you want to tell them to me? Just few lines. As you know today is my 40th birthday and this can be a beautiful occasion to celebrate it together.
Agreed? Join the website and the blog. When I’ll blow out the candles on my birthday’s cake, I’ll be thinking of you.
We come back with joy towards new goals, always led by those values I took as landmark during my life: courage, strenght, resolution and loyalty. And then the dream, never stop dreaming.
I’m waiting for you

A huge hug
Roberto Baggio
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Happy birthday baggio! You are indeed the greatest talent i have had the pleasure of seeing.

So I guess Gianni Rivera is old news?
Pretty soon they will label BUFFON as Italia's greatest GK ever...

 

Buon compleanno a Roberto Baggio!

-Scott

 

So I guess Gianni Rivera is old news?
Pretty soon they will label BUFFON as Italia's greatest GK ever...

I wouldn't be surprised about Buffon.

As far as Baggio is concerned, let me just say this. I have not seen a player with such intelligence and artistry and baggio. Watch some his goals throughout his career and you will see how masterful they are.

Lets also say that he OWNS the right triangle where the crossbar meets the post, and i believe they should name that part of the goal...baggio.

 

Maldini is the best Italian player ever.

Baggio was pretty great, though.

 

Just his name get's my heart racing. , As far as the topic is concerned he defintely has the claim to be called Italy's greatest.:thumbsup: That might be a little more debatable though but imo when talking talent he top's the list...no doubtroud:

Maldini also could claim for the throne, but imo i'm a sucker for creative talents rather than the ability to stop play's:smileani:

 

Artistry defined

 

he is 'one of' the best.

 

totti at his prime is > then baggio at his prime.

 

Totti does give some amazing through balls, long and short. But as a forward Baggio is everything.
The only reason i can't compare Totti to baggio is because they are not exactly the same role, but as a forward....baggio is way ahead of totti, whether in his prime or in his old age. I see baggio as the professor in terms of players like Zidane, Totti, Del Piero, Cassano, and i would probably put Messi in there too who is a very smart player and reminds me a bit of baggio.

 

Is really Baggio the best italian player ever ?

a former Italian football player, who with his great technique was one of the largest and most popular players in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Considered one of the greatest players in history, played in three World Cups for Italy, and is the only Italian player to score in the three different World Cups. He also won the awards for Player of the Year (Ballon d'Or) and Best player in the world by FIFA in 1993.

Despite all his skill, was more marked in football, at least outside of his country, the penalty miss in the final of World Cup 1994, making Italy the fourth championship lost to Brazil.

He played for Vincenza , Fiorentina , Juventus , Milan , Bologna , Inter and Brescia , scoring more than 200 goals .

 

Who is Robby Baggio?
Lol this option is great.

 

maybe who is robby baggio

 

Ever ? No, he's not. According to Football experts Valentino Mazzola and Giuseppe Meazza have been stronger and greater than Baggio.

 

I you ask me, it is father and son Mazzola.

 

I forgot that I actually posted in this thread 5 year's ago. Anyhow my opinion hasn't changed since.

 

I think it comes down to 6 players: Meazza, Valentino Mazzola, Rivera, Baggio, Baresi and Maldini.

I didn't watch the first 3 live (not even recorded footage of Meazza and Mazzola), but Baggio would be my personal pick no doubt.

 

Until recently, Facchetti and Scirea were sometimes mentioned in the same bracket as Baresi. Maldini wasn't. Or so it seems to me. Maybe it changed since Dini retired though.

 

He might have been the most talented but I strongly doubt he was the best. First of all a physical frailty followed hm throughout his carreer, then a certain tendence to choke when it mattered the most.

 

I agree with you Toni, the thing is that one has to go a good 25 year's prior to Baggio's dominance to find the like's of Rivera and Riva to make any comparison. With limited footage(Mexico '70 and a few Serie A games) to rate their ability and talent it's very hard to make a judgement.

 

few club titles and not winning in a WC title in a four times winner country is what creates that image of a choker, but quite frankly watching his displays in his clubs and NT says otherwise...

Maybe the traditional football country that has the harder task to try to determine this is Italy but clearly he was an outstanding player that no one should even remotely be worried if any fan thinks he was the greatest italian player or at least, his favorite one...

and sorry but as great as any Maldini, Baresi, Scirea, Passarella, Nilton Santos, can be, never can be the best player for a huge football traditional country...this is not a question of being fair or not with defenders, because actually since they were born life wasn't fair with them when compared to a Pele regarding strict football skills.

This doesn't mean that I can't understand a Beckenbauer, Maldini or Baresi in the top of any list or understand that we can't put an Overath, Liitbarski, Schuster, Zola and cia above them when we face the extraordinary consitency and style of such huge defenders...but Baggio was a quite a lot more gifted footballer than Maldini and even with few titles quite an effective one too, there is too much talent in there.