Italian football legend Roberto Baggio was hospitalized after gun-toting robbers, who invaded his house, attacked him. As reported by local media, five robbers stormed his house around 10 pm local time while he and his family were watching the EURO 2024 match between Italy and Spain. They have locked up him and his family and absconded with valuable items.
Notably, his villa is located in Altavilla Vicentina, a small town in northern Italy, which is quite far from Venice. During the incident, the 57-year-old attempted to fend off the attackers, but one of the burglars struck him on the head with a gun before locking them in a room. Baggio, popularly known as Il Divin Codino (the divine ponytail), however, managed to help his family escape the locked room after the robbers had fled away.
Now, all that remains is to overcome the fear: Roberto Baggio
Baggio was taken to a hospital in Arzignano for treatment of his forehead injury, where he received stitches. Although his family members were unharmed, they were extremely stunned by the incident at their home, which is on an isolated property. As reported by Corriere della Sera, the robbery lasted for over 40 minutes, and the investigating officers have been provided with CCTV footage.
Baggio made his first public address since the incident and thanked well-wishers for their support. “Now all that remains is to overcome the fear. Fortunately, the violence I suffered only caused a few stitches on my person, bruises, and a lot of fear,” he was quoted as saying by BBC.
During his spell, Baggio was a standout outperformer for the Italian national team, guiding his side to a FIFA World Cup final in 1994. Regrettably, he famously missed a penalty in the shootout which allowed Brazil to clinch their fourth title. The 57-year-old holds the distinction of being the only Italian player to score at three World Cups. Additionally, he represented Serie A clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan before hanging his boots in 2004.
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