Baggio: Football is no longer a part of my life. The only regret is that I missed a penalty in the World Cup final

Football 12:15pm, 6 June 2025 114

Italian legendary star Roberto Baggio, as a guest on the podcast program, talked about his career, missing penalty kicks in the World Cup final, and Italian tennis star Sina.

Baggio first said: "As a player, I want to be coached by coaches such as Guardiola, Dezelby, and Inzagi Jr. Because they play wonderfully and try to bring happiness to people."

After retirement, Baggio stayed away from football. He continued: "I haven't trained for many years because once physical exercise, it means that all kinds of injuries I have encountered in my career may recur, and this situation must be avoided. However, my house is surrounded by nature, and on the mountain, I have to mow grass and cut trees every 10 days, which is my sports activity. It's a rewarding job, and football is no longer a part of my life. I can't play football anymore because I have so many surgeries. The court is great, the most difficult thing is Habits can't play on the stadium anymore."

Then Baggio said: "Watch my game video? I'm a nostalgic person, which makes me feel bad, and I think this will happen after all the players retire. But I have no regrets, the only regret is missing a penalty in the World Cup final against Brazil. Because in my career, I have done everything, and even more. When I stopped playing, it was a kind of liberation. In the past, I had to rest every Monday and Tuesday because my knees would swell after the game. I just insisted on moving forward for passion, and when I still maintained a certain level I chose to leave. "

Baggio is still a football idol all over the world, and there are also images of Baggio in the Japanese "Football Teenager" animation. Baggio said: "It really surprised me. My children will watch this animation, and being able to participate in this episode is beyond words. I am surprised by the enthusiasm that Japanese and Chinese fans still show for me and our football."

Baggio also talked about his first meeting with Italian tennis star Sina: "The meeting was strange. I had a video call with his coach before, and he lived in my house for a while. Sina was in the offseason, so we agreed to have a barbecue together in Rome. After meeting the pope, Sina entered the elevator with her parents and happened to meet us. The first post by my daughter Valentina on my Instagram was to celebrate Sina's success, which deeply touched me. He is a good role model for all young people, and I hope he will always stay this way, and the world needs someone like him."