🇲🇹 Illum, inkomplu bit-tour tal-50 stilel li jdawru Juventus Stadium u l-istilla li jmiss huwa player  Taljan li żgur minajr ma ried kien wieħed li ħoloq u għadu ċentru ta’ dibattiti kontroversjali.

Ħafna nies jarawh bħala l-akbar plejer tal-futbol Taljan ta’ kull żmien.  Għal oħrajn, kien plejer meraviljuż li kien misħut mid-destin minħabba l-bosta ġrieħi li ġarrab matul il-karriera tiegħu. Roberto Baggio kien mingħajr dubju wieħed mill-aqwa plejers tal-futbol ta’ dejjem li paxxa l-għajnejn ta’ dawk kollha dilettanti ta din il-logħba sabiħa.

Imwieled fit-18 ta’ Frar tal-1967, f’Caldogno, huwa beda l-karriera tal-futbol mat-tim ta’ raħal twelidu, fejn lagħab mill-1974 sal-1980. Fl-1980, kien iffirmat minn Vicenza, u sentejn wara, ġie promoss għat-tim tal-kbar, fejn lagħab 36 logħba u skorja 13-il gowl bejn l-1982 u l-1985. Wara ġie trasferit għal Fiorentina, fejn skorja 39 gowl f’95 logħba sal-1990.

Baggio ġie trasferit lil Juventus eżatt qabel it-Tazza tad-Dinja ta’ Italia 90, meta bit-talent u l-goals tiegħu wassal lill-Italja għas-semifinali.  Il-partitarji tal-Viola ma kinux kuntenti bit-trasferiment. Huwa kellu bżonn ftit ħin biex jidra fir-rejalta ġdida ta’  Turin, u matul l-ewwel snin tiegħu, irnexxielu jirbaħ biss it-Tazza Uefa fl-1993. Din kienet l-ewwel rebħa kbira tat-trofew tiegħu.

Roby Baggio kellu sena mill-isbaħ fl-1993, hekk kif rebaħ ukoll il-Balon D’Or! Fil-waqt li l-ewwel titlu tal-kampjonat Taljan, kif ukoll l-ewwel Coppa Italia ta’ Baggio waslu  fl-istaġun 1994/95. Huwa kien il-kaptan ta’ Juventus meta l-bianconeri rebħu l-kampjonat għall-ewwel darba fi kważi għaxar snin!

Dak kien, madankollu, l-aħħar staġun tiegħu mal-Bianconeri, u bosta partitarji kienu diżappuntati.  Wara l-Juve,  Baggio lagħab mal-Milan, Bologna, Inter u Brescia u rnexxielu jerbaħ titlu ieħor biss ma’ Milan fl-1995/96. Huwa qatta’ l-aħħar snin tal-karriera illustri tiegħu ma’ Brescia, fejn wera li huwa wieħed mill-aqwa plejers minkejja bosta problemi fisiċi u l-fatt li kien qed jikber.

Mal-flokk nazzjonali Taljan, Roberto Baggio kellu rapport sensazzjoni. Huwa għamel 56 dehra mat-tim nazzjonali, fejn skorja 27 gowl. Huwa deher fi tliet Tazzi tad-Dinja, u ddebutta fl-1988 u lagħab l-aħħar logħba tiegħu f’partita emozzjonali fl-2004.

Mingħajr dubju, wieħed mill-aktar plejers popolari u b’talent ta’ kull żmien! Sfortunatament, illum ma narawx ħafna minn dawn it-tip ta ‘plejers.  Il-wirja tat-trofew tiegħu ċertament ma tirriflettix it-talent u l-potenzjali tiegħu u dan ta’ min jgħid li huwa ħabba l-fatt li Roberto Baggio spiss kien sfortunat biżżejjed li ikun fil-post ħażin fil-mument il-ħażin!

Fuq nota personali, nemmen li ftit plejers biss kellhom impatt fuq il-logħba daqs Baggio. Inqis lili nnifsi fortunat li stajt nara l-karriera kollha tiegħu, partikolarment is-snin tiegħu bħala Bianconero.

🇬🇧 Today, we continue our tour of the 50 stars that surround Juventus Stadium and our next star is a controverary Italian player who many see as the greatest Italian footballer of all time. For others, he was a fantastic player who was cursed by fate owing to the numerous injuries he sustained during his playing career. Roberto Baggio was without a doubt one of the most skilled footballers to ever grace the beautiful game, no matter how you look at it!

Born on February 18, 1967, in Caldogno, he began his football career with his hometown team, where he played from 1974 until 1980. In 1980, he was signed by Vicenza, and two years later, he was promoted to the senior team, where he played 36 games and scored 13 goals between 1982 and 1985. He was then transferred to Fiorentina, where he scored 39 goals in 95 games until 1990.

Baggio was transferred to Juventus just before the Italia 90 World Cup, when he shone and led Italy to the semi-finals with his brilliance and goals. The Viola fans were not pleased with the transfer. He needed some time to settle in Turin, and during his first years there, he only managed to win the Uefa Cup in 1993. This was his first major trophy win.

Roby Baggio had a wonderful year in 1993, as he also won the Balon D’Or! Baggio’s first Italian league title, as well as the Coppa Italia, came in the 1994/95 season. He was the captain of Juventus when the bianconeri won the league for the first time in almost ten years!

That was, however, his final season with the Bianconeri, and many supporters were disappointed. Baggio played for Milan, Bologna, Inter, and Brescia after Juve, winning another title with Milan in 1995/96. He spent the latter years of his illustrious career with Brescia, where he proved to be one of the best players despite numerous injuries and the fact that he was becoming older.

With the Italian national jersey, Roberto Baggio had a terrific feeling. He made 56 appearances for the national team, scoring 27 goals. He appeared in three World Cups, making his debut in 1988 and playing his final appearance in an emotional contest in 2004.

Without a doubt, one of the most popular and talented players of all time! Unfortunately, we don’t see many of these types of players nowadays.  His trophy cabinett certainly does not reflect his potential and demonstrated talent! He was frequently unfortunate enough to be in the wrong location at the wrong time!

On a personal note, I believe that only a few players have had as much impact on the game as Baggio. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to witness his entire career, particularly his years as a Bianconero.