Baggio looks backAs Roberto Baggio turns 40, Il Divin Codino has tied in his exclusion from the 2002 World Cup with the Calciopoli scandal.
“When I saw what was happening and had happened in the past, it made me think back to the 2002 World Cup. I was excluded and I still don’t know why,” he told TG1.
Coach Giovanni Trapattoni ignored calls from the fans and media for Baggio to play a part in the Japan and Korea tournament despite his recovery from injury.
Among the accusations – later proved unfounded – during the Calciopoli scandal were that certain players were ‘promoted’ to the Italy squad thanks to the influence of agents and clubs.
However, it was another World Cup moment that in his view remains the only real regret of his entire existence.
“I have just one image I would like to cancel from my life – that penalty,” he said of the 1994 spot-kick miss that sealed Brazil’s victory in Pasadena.
Baggio turns 40 on Sunday and many of his contemporaries, such as Roberto Donadoni, Roberto Mancini and Carlo Ancelotti, are now successful Coaches.
Others, like new UEFA President Michel Platini, are taking a leading role behind the scenes in football, but he has resisted all calls to return to the sport.
“Those who have lived within this football world and known how to negotiate such a complex environment has experience that can be useful for everyone.”
The questions over the recent upturn in violence in Italian stadiums and how to solve the problem were inevitable for a man who, perhaps more than any other, was able to unite all the fans.
“Football has lost its most important element – passion. I think that is the foundation, the building block upon which we must begin again. Those who are outside this sport cannot see the subtle shading between black and white. It’s a difficult world where there isn’t enough talk about passion.”
Il Divin Codino has not entirely ruled out a future in calcio, though. “I have to think hard on what to do next. It’s a tough issue and a mistake could prove very, very costly.”
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რობერტო ბაჯოს ფანკლუბი, გენიალური და დაუვიწყარი რობი. II ნაწილი
