Roberto Baggio sadly looked back at his playing career, remembering the physical difficulties faced and the impact of the missed penalty at the World Cup in 1994.
The 1993 Ballon d’Or winner famously struggled with serious injuries throughout his career, forcing him to undergo a number of surgeries on his knees at different points across the years. His career almost didn’t get off the ground after a terrible cruciate ligament injury when he was a teenager.
Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Baggio reflected on his career and how he faced the various difficulties.
“Mine was a career of suffering. In the later period, I was annoyed that I was unable to do things with my teammates because of my aches and pains.
“It seemed like I was privileged, but instead I was a loser who couldn’t wait until Sunday to play because then came the nightmare, on Monday or Tuesday, with swollen knees.
“The last few games were heartbreaking. I was so shattered that my wife would come and help me out of the car.”
He then spoke about the psychological impact of his missed penalty in the shoot-out against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final.
“Yes, it will never go away. Every now and then I tell myself that maybe if I had scored it would have been worse.”
Despite his injuries, Baggio was one of the most celebrated Italian footballers of all time, with many considering him to be among Italy’s all-time greats. He won league titles with Juventus and Milan and spent time with Fiorentina, Inter, Bologna and Brescia.