252: Roberto Baggio, Italy, Panini England European Football Championship '96
Campionato…di
Calcio…ITALIANO! If your Saturday mornings didn’t feature these three words, an adorned cup of coffee and the Gazetta Dello Sport then I don’t
believe you truly lived through the 1990s. Channel 4’s sensational Football
Italia, with a little help from the 1994 World Cup, brought the fascinating
world of Serie A to British screens and ensured that a generation of
pretentious kids idolised the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Paolo Maldini and
Roberto Baggio rather than the prosaic domestic alternatives such as Mike
Newell and Steve Harkness (no offence gentlemen).
Roberto
Baggio was THE hero of my childhood. I even had the questionable ponytail in
tribute and was willing to turn my back on a Juventus team that had lit up my
1994/5 (Palace were too busy being relegated as the sacrificial lambs of
Premier League restructuring) when Baggio moved to AC Milan ahead of the 1995/6
season. The ‘Divine Ponytail’ joined a team smarting from the end of a period
of domestic dominance at the hands of Juventus and were keen to regain the
Scudetto from the Old Lady’s clutches.
His
first season at AC Milan did not see him truly establish himself in the side.
This was in part due to the persistent injuries he suffered at this stage of
his career. Nevertheless, he fought his way back into a star studded side
featuring, 1995 Ballon D’or winner, George Weah and contributed seven goals and
twelve assists as AC Milan secured the Serie A title. Baggio had found his form
just in time for Euro ’96 in England. Who cared that football was coming home
when Baggio was coming to England?
Not
truly understanding the nature of sticker collection at this point I filled out
the form in the middle of the Panini album about a week after purchasing it to
ensure that I ‘completed’ Italy. After their stirring performances, led by the
sublime Roberto Baggio, at USA ’94 there was no question that Italy weren’t
going to take the tournament by storm despite being drawn in the ‘group of
death’ alongside Germany, the Czech Republic and Russia. In his sticker
portrait Baggio looked focused and fit and ready to showcase his brilliance in
the home of the beautiful game.
But
Baggio was not named in Arrigo Sacchi’s squad. As with Juventus the summer
before, the hopes of the Italian nation were pinned on a young upstart by the
name of Alessandro Del Piero. Del Piero disappeared at half-time of the
Azzuri’s win over Russia and did not feature in their defeat to the Czech
Republic or their must win final group game against Germany. Italy drew 0-0 and
were eliminated. Furthermore Sacchi took over at AC Milan during the 1996/97
season and Baggio was pushed to the periphery of a side that struggled to
retain their Serie A title and ultimately finished 11th.
Baggio
moved to Bologna at the start of the 1997/98 season where he notched up 22
goals in a side aiming to avoid relegation who ultimately ended up qualifying
for the Intertoto Cup. This stellar performance earned Baggio a place in
Italy’s World Cup squad where he scored twice (as well as a shootout penalty)
as Italy made it to the quarter-finals. Which just leaves us to think: what
could have been at Euro 96?
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