Hi folks, 
I know there are many Baggio fans in XT, and it's really a great pity that he could not make the WC. So this thread is for fans to pay tribute to one of Italy's greatest sporting heroes.
No Trapattoni bashing please. The article below is a history of sorts on Baggio's career.
Baggio's brilliant World Cup career comes to an end
ROME, May 8 (AFP)
The brilliant international career of Brescia striker Roberto Baggio was effectively ended on Wednesday when Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni did not name him in his 23-man squad for the World Cup.
Baggio may have defied doctors in returning to Italian first division action before the end of the season just finished but his comeback stopped short of selection for the finals in Korea and Japan.
Baggio, adored by the media and fans but not always so popular with team-mates and coaches, had been ruled out for the season after injuring ligaments in January but returned to save Brescia from relegation with three goals in their last three matches.
That fuelled the campaign for Trapattoni to include the 35-year-old but the coach resisted a sometimes overwhelming demand to re-instate Baggio, one of Italy's greatest World Cup stars - but one who failed to lift the ultimate prize.
Sadly the defining moment in Baggio's brilliant career came in 1994 when Italy faced Brazil in the 1994 final, the first decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Baggio, whose accuracy rate from the spot is second to none in Italy, skied his shot over Claudio Taffarel's crossbar, to ensure Brazil and not Italy would make history by winning a fourth World Cup.
It was all the more cruel as Baggio had singlehandedly carried Arrigo Sacchi's Italy to the threshold of glory, seeing them through games with Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria before that final disappointment.
He scored both in the 2-1 win over Nigeria, the first in the 2-1 win over Spain and both in the semi-final 2-1 win over Bulgaria.
It was the second of three World Cups for Baggio who had illuminated the 1990 edition in Italy with the best goal of the tournament against Czechoslovakia, adding another in the third-place play-off victory over England in Bari.
But his appearance in France 98 with many claiming that his presence was detrimental to the form of Alessandro Del Piero, who has since admitted he was destabilised when Italy fans chanted for Baggio instead of him, calls sometimes heeded by coach Cesare Maldini.
Nonetheless Baggio scored goals against Chile and Austria.
Baggio, dubbed the 'divine ponytail' because of his hairstyle and his conversion to Buddhism, set a world record transfer fee in 1990 when he joined Juventus from Fiorentina.
Ironically it was just as the club was emerging from years in the doldrums that the emergence of Del Piero persuaded coach Marcello Lippi to move Baggio out of the club, instead relying on the youngster and forwards Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Baggio and Lippi are still not on speaking terms. After a career when Baggio had starred for Juve and both Milan clubs AC and Inter it seemed he was putting himself out to grass when he joined newly-promoted Brescia for the 2000/01 season.
But his outstanding form began the media campaign for the player to be recalled, reaching a peak during the match in Parma last Autumn when Italy met Hungary still needing a draw to be sure of automatic qualification.
After a nervous opening the Italy fans started chanting the name of Baggio and booing Del Piero who responded with the goal that took Italy to Japan.
Trapattoni delivered an astonishing broadside at Italy fans after that match.
"It's an unkind gesture towards those who took us to the World Cup," bellowed Trapattoni. "This way we are damaging the national team. Remember that, Italians."
Injury intervened, however, with the initial diagnosis ruling Baggio out of the World Cup.
But as it emerged that Baggio was recuperating quicker than expected Trapattoni moved quickly to stifle any debate by naming his seven attacking players on the eve of last month's friendly with Uruguay in Milan.
It did not work. The campaign went from strength to strength but as Baggio's fans demonstrated outside Italian football federationheadquarters on Wednesday Trapattoni's list finally brought down the curtain on the international career of one of Italy's greatest footballers.
Baggio had scored 27 goals in 55 appearances for the 'Azzurri', his last outing coming in 1999 in the 1-1 draw with Belarus.
Source: Dailysoccer.com
I know there are many Baggio fans in XT, and it's really a great pity that he could not make the WC.
So this thread is for fans to pay tribute to one of Italy's greatest sporting heroes.No Trapattoni bashing please.
The article below is a history of sorts on Baggio's career. Baggio's brilliant World Cup career comes to an end
ROME, May 8 (AFP)
The brilliant international career of Brescia striker Roberto Baggio was effectively ended on Wednesday when Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni did not name him in his 23-man squad for the World Cup.
Baggio may have defied doctors in returning to Italian first division action before the end of the season just finished but his comeback stopped short of selection for the finals in Korea and Japan.
Baggio, adored by the media and fans but not always so popular with team-mates and coaches, had been ruled out for the season after injuring ligaments in January but returned to save Brescia from relegation with three goals in their last three matches.
That fuelled the campaign for Trapattoni to include the 35-year-old but the coach resisted a sometimes overwhelming demand to re-instate Baggio, one of Italy's greatest World Cup stars - but one who failed to lift the ultimate prize.
Sadly the defining moment in Baggio's brilliant career came in 1994 when Italy faced Brazil in the 1994 final, the first decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Baggio, whose accuracy rate from the spot is second to none in Italy, skied his shot over Claudio Taffarel's crossbar, to ensure Brazil and not Italy would make history by winning a fourth World Cup.
It was all the more cruel as Baggio had singlehandedly carried Arrigo Sacchi's Italy to the threshold of glory, seeing them through games with Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria before that final disappointment.
He scored both in the 2-1 win over Nigeria, the first in the 2-1 win over Spain and both in the semi-final 2-1 win over Bulgaria.
It was the second of three World Cups for Baggio who had illuminated the 1990 edition in Italy with the best goal of the tournament against Czechoslovakia, adding another in the third-place play-off victory over England in Bari.
But his appearance in France 98 with many claiming that his presence was detrimental to the form of Alessandro Del Piero, who has since admitted he was destabilised when Italy fans chanted for Baggio instead of him, calls sometimes heeded by coach Cesare Maldini.
Nonetheless Baggio scored goals against Chile and Austria.
Baggio, dubbed the 'divine ponytail' because of his hairstyle and his conversion to Buddhism, set a world record transfer fee in 1990 when he joined Juventus from Fiorentina.
Ironically it was just as the club was emerging from years in the doldrums that the emergence of Del Piero persuaded coach Marcello Lippi to move Baggio out of the club, instead relying on the youngster and forwards Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Baggio and Lippi are still not on speaking terms. After a career when Baggio had starred for Juve and both Milan clubs AC and Inter it seemed he was putting himself out to grass when he joined newly-promoted Brescia for the 2000/01 season.
But his outstanding form began the media campaign for the player to be recalled, reaching a peak during the match in Parma last Autumn when Italy met Hungary still needing a draw to be sure of automatic qualification.
After a nervous opening the Italy fans started chanting the name of Baggio and booing Del Piero who responded with the goal that took Italy to Japan.
Trapattoni delivered an astonishing broadside at Italy fans after that match.
"It's an unkind gesture towards those who took us to the World Cup," bellowed Trapattoni. "This way we are damaging the national team. Remember that, Italians."
Injury intervened, however, with the initial diagnosis ruling Baggio out of the World Cup.
But as it emerged that Baggio was recuperating quicker than expected Trapattoni moved quickly to stifle any debate by naming his seven attacking players on the eve of last month's friendly with Uruguay in Milan.
It did not work. The campaign went from strength to strength but as Baggio's fans demonstrated outside Italian football federationheadquarters on Wednesday Trapattoni's list finally brought down the curtain on the international career of one of Italy's greatest footballers.
Baggio had scored 27 goals in 55 appearances for the 'Azzurri', his last outing coming in 1999 in the 1-1 draw with Belarus.
Source: Dailysoccer.com
