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Roberto Baggio: Former Italian football star robbed at gunpoint while watching Italy-Spain game
Retired Italian football star Roberto Baggio has been robbed at gunpoint while watching the national team play Spain at Euro 2024.
At least five armed robbers burst into Baggio’s villa near the northern city of Vicenza around 10pm local time (9pm BST) on Thursday, according to Italian media reports.
One intruder hit the 57-year-old on the head with the butt of a gun when the former player confronted them.
Roberto Baggio in 2015. File pic: AP
The robbers locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash during the raid, which reportedly lasted 40 minutes.
Baggio was taken to hospital and received stitches for the wound. None of his family were harmed.
Italian sports newspaper Corriere dello Sport said Baggio had a “very brief” scuffle with one of the intruders and he suffered a “deep wound” after being hit on the forehead with the weapon.
Baggio, it said, broke down the door of the room he and his family were locked in before calling police.
He was, the paper said, “very scared”, but was not seriously hurt.
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Known as ‘The Divine Ponytail’ during his playing career, Baggio was a gifted attacking midfielder who played 56 games for Italy, scoring 27 goals and starring in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.
Widely regarded as an all-time great, he played for Vicenza in his youth, going on to star for other Serie A clubs such as Fiorentina, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Spain won Thursday night’s Euro 2024 match, beating Italy 1-0 and securing their place in the knockout stages of the tournament in Germany.