Italian football legend Roberto Baggio has been hospitalised after he was attacked by armed robbers who stormed his home and locked his family up while they watched last night’s Euro 2024 match between Italy and Spain.
Baggio, 57, was at his home in Altavilla Vicentina, a small town in northern Italy that lies roughly an hour’s drive away from Venice, at around 10pm local time when the gang of five broke in.
While Il Divin Codino, The Divine Ponytail in English, tried to fight the thugs off, he was hit in the head with the butt of a gun, before he and his family were locked in a room.
The robbers stole watches, jewellery and money, the value of which is not currently known.
The ex-forward was able to break his family out of the room they were locked in, but not before the robbers got away. Corriere della Sera reported that the robbery took place over 40 minutes.
Investigating cops have been handed CCTV footage to assist their inquiry.
Baggio, meanwhile, had to go to a hospital in Arzignano, roughly eight miles from his home, to be treated for his forehead injury, for which he was given stitches.
While none of his family were hurt, local media reported that they were left terrified by the incident.
Baggio spent his entire 22-year sporting career in Italy, playing for the country’s three most decorated clubs, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, as well as other smaller clubs.
He won two Serie A titles in this time.
A 1985 injury, just three years into his career, threatened to end his time as a footballer. The incident profoundly changed him, and he converted from Catholicism to Buddhism.
His religion became such a deep part of his identity that he proudly wore the colours of his religious school, Nichiren Buddhism, on his captain’s armband.
The band also bore the Japanese motto ‘We win. We must win.’
But he never let go of his Catholic roots, marrying his long-time partner Andreina Fabbi in 1989 in a Catholic ceremony.
The couple had three children together – Valentina, born in 1990, Mattia, born in 1994, and Leonardo, born in 2005.
After retiring from football, he became a high-ranking officials in Italy’s Football Federation, presiding over the organisation’s technical section.
But in 2013, after three years in the job, he resigning claiming that the sporting body did not listen to his recommendations on how to nurture young talent.
More to follow.