Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio (18 February 1967) is a retired Italian footballer, who played in a playmaking role, either as a forward or attacking midfielder. He is also the former President of the Technical Sector of the FIGC.

Baggio in 2013

Quotes

• I knew what I had to do and my concentration was perfect. But I was so tired that I tried to hit the ball too hard.
  • Baggio on his physical and mental state before taking the last penalty in the shoot-out of the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil.

• Penalties are only missed by those who have the courage to take them.
  (Italian: I rigori li sbaglia solo chi ha il coraggio di tirarli.)
  • Roberto Baggio, 2001

• I have lost three World Cups, all on penalties. [...] If you'll allow me this, it really gets on my nerves.
  • Roberto Baggio. Retrieved on 9 February 2014.

About Roberto Baggio

• The angels sing in his legs.
  • Aldo Agroppi, Fiorentina 1985–86, Roberto Baggio: Il Divino Codino. Retrieved on 9 February 2014.

• More productive than Maradona; he [Baggio] is without doubt the best number 10 in the league."
  • Miguel Montuori

• Baggio. Oh yes, oh yes…oh yes! What a goal by Baggio! That's the goal they’ve all been waiting for!
  • Alan Parry, 1990

• I had the good fortune to have seen [Giuseppe] Meazza, and I thought of him when I saw Baggio play. Baggio has fantasy.
  • Gianni Brera, Italian sports writer, [1] retrieved on 9 February 2014.

• Roby is a great nine and a half.
  • Michel Platini

• He looks like a wet rabbit.
  • Gianni Agnelli, 1994

• Baggio is the greatest little player I've ever seen.
  • Gianni Agnelli

• He has the kind of skill people dream about.
  • Paul Elliot, "Roberto Baggio", FourFourTwo, June 1995, p. 8.

• There's not a team in the world that wouldn't like to have him in their line-up.
  • Don Howe, "Roberto Baggio", FourFourTwo, June 1995, p. 6.

• He's without doubt the most skilful number ten in the modern game, the archetypal playmaker, if you like, who can create chances and score goals.
  • Brian Laudrup, "Roberto Baggio", FourFourTwo, June 1995, p. 8.

• One games stands out in particular, one against Ancona which we won 5–1. Baggio scored four goals in the first 20 minutes and killed the game off. I don't think I've seen a better performance from any player in any game I've ever played in. For half an hour, he was on fire. As footballers go, he's a genius.
  • David Platt, "Roberto Baggio", FourFourTwo, June 1995, p. 8.

• Roberto Baggio was the best player I ever played against; he made football look very easy.
  • Matthew Le Tissier, Matthew Le Tissier Interview: "Roberto Baggio Was The Best Player I Ever Played Against", The Hard Tackle, 21 June 2012. Retrieved on 9 February 2014.

• Baggio on the bench? It's something that I will never understand in my lifetime.
  • Zinedine Zidane

• Roberto Baggio was the best Italian fantasista; he was better than Meazza and Boniperti, and he was amongst the greatest of all time, right behind Maradona, Pelé, and maybe Cruyff. Without the injury problems and the difficulties with his knees, he would have been the very best player in history.
  • Carlo Mazzone

• I said, ‘No, you have to play striker.’ Baggio went to another club. That year Baggio scored 25 [actually 22] goals – for Bologna! I lost 25 goals! Big mistake.
  • Carlo Ancelotti, 2014

• One of the greatest ever.
  • Pelé [2], retrieved on 9 February 2014.

• He's a fantastic guy, he can play football like few others can, without a doubt the best player I've played with.
  • Fabrizio Ravanelli, 2017

• I remember when I was six years old and there was only one idol for me: Roberto Baggio.
  • Robert Lewandowski [3]