Baggio, not wanting to be upstaged by his former understudy, then tested Edwin van der Sar from distance. Roberto Baggio, Christian Vieri and even Francesco Totti thrived for the Azzurri at major tournaments, but Del Piero’s role was less prominent. It was the only goalless game of the last eight. Valcareggi believed with a system that deployed two out and out ‘bombers’ in Gigi Riva and Roberto Boninsegna, he couldn’t also field both Mazzola and Rivera together. If it was not for 5 years that Del Piero served Padova, Sydney FC, and Delhi Dynamos, we could say he had served Juventus for all his career. The discussion soon made its way from the bars and piazzas of Italy to players past and present. I put DP as number 2 greatest footballer ever behind Messi, but like I said, I am extreeeemely biased and I know it. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In many ways, France ’98 represented watershed moments in both their careers, with neither reaching the same heights. Baggio believed he was better than his American incarnate. Relevance. Who was the better player in their prime? Press Esc to cancel. Del Piero got the nod for his first start in the Stade de France in Paris. Baggio’s exceptional display against Chile now made matters slightly more complicated for Maldini. Del Piero now had to settle for Baggio’s old ‘sparring role’. Ideal position for Del Piero would be that of a SS (or … The battle of Zidane and Pessotto played out quite like one would assume Zidane v Pessotto would play out. Despite going further in 1990 and 1994, the 1998 squad was the arguably the finest of the three. There were moves for Baggio in his career which did not work out (Inter & AC) Del Piero was World class late 90's early 00's Tormented by that penalty miss in Pasadena, his status as one of the world’s best had nose-dived in the ensuing 3 years due to a combination of injuries and ill-advised moves. Anonymous. Baggio knew the Japanese offer wasn’t a viable alternative if he wanted to make Italy’s World Cup squad. Udinese’s offer wasn’t felt to be genuine, and so Baggio joined unfashionable Bologna. It would’ve been a golden goal, and changed the course of French history. Del Piero however wasn't far off, he was a brilliant player and more successful than any of the others. Baggio for his part again reiterated that the starting spot should be Del Piero’s, and felt this will be his tournament and advised him to stay calm. The ecstasy before the agony: Roberto Baggio vs. Bulgaria (1994). GOALS. Without the injury issues and the difficulties with his knees, he would have been the best player in history. Baggio may have been less of a typical centre forward than ADP, but Baggio was better at scoring goals. Baggio for his part agreed, saying that he had no problem making way for Del Piero against Cameroon. Baggio had saved Italy from a second consecutive opening day defeat. Del Piero would go through another staffetta at the 2002 World Cup, with Francesco Totti on the other side of the ring. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Baggio is certainly in that line of thinking. Zico threw his support behind Baggio, feeling that if the 31-year old was fit, he should play, “with 3 touches, he can do anything on the pitch.” Falcao felt the two couldn’t coexist, as it would create an imbalance. Regardless of the fact who was ore famous, Baggio played better, he should have played against France and even Norway. Thats just straight robbery, hes probably not even top 50 ever.... LMAO if Baggio could've played as long as Totti he would put him to shame. Between the clinks and clatters of cups filled with espressos that were set down on bars all across Italy – the country known as the land of 60 million coaches – talk centered around the Baggio/Del Piero conundrum. I've only seen a few matches of Del Piero when I was young and cant remember too much about him but he was a phenomenal player as well. 1 1. As amazing as Baggio was there are plenty better no 10s omo, like Maradona, Zico, Platini etc. Yet Maldini was surprisingly quick to pour scorn over Baggio’s performance. ( Log Out / “If I could relive the chance again, I would let the ball bounce and give myself time,” he said, “but that was the story with my Italy at World Cups, a little unlucky.”. Maldini had switched formations after the Cameroon game, and now settled on a 3-5-2 formation. Italy vs France didn’t live long in the memory. 9 years ago. So it was Valcareggi who came up with the ‘relay’ system, with Rivera and Mazzola playing a half each as a way of compromise. Italy, as they tend to do when facing defeat, finally showed a sense of urgency. Baggio, judging the situation on pure instinct with little space between he and Fabian Barthez, hit a right-footed volley with the outside of boot that flashed across the net and went narrowly wide. Maldini’s sheer stubbornness in persisting with Del Piero, when it was clearly evident that Baggio was in better shape and in better form, also drew ire. In Italian football parlance, the word carries negative connotations. In the end, it would leave a bitter taste, regret at what might’ve been. who was better in their prime: Baggio or Del Piero? Azzurri coach Ferruccio Valcareggi was blessed, or perhaps cursed, with having Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola – both star players for Milan and Inter – in the prime of their careers. Del Piero, maybe not wanting to give anything away with cameras present, give the impression of someone at ease. But, you almost get the sense that Maldini was cutting off his nose in refusing to start Baggio. The Italian press pitted fallen idol Baggio against current media darling Del Piero. Was he better than all these > players? Baggio was under no illusions as to his role at France ’98; to be Del Piero’s understudy. From back to front in 3 touches. IMO, Del Piero was a better forward, while Baggio was a better midfielder. What was immediately clear was that Del Piero’s injury wouldn’t heal before the Group B opener against Chile. I am extremely biased because Del Piero has gifted me so many damn emotions and was the one who made me love watching football. There was a sense that Del Piero couldn’t cope with the shadow of Baggio looming large, that his every mistake would be scrutinised and after every bad game calls made for Baggio to replace him. Goal O’ The Times: Alessandro Del Piero vs. Lazio (1994). Penalties were the only thing that would separate the two teams, and so Italy lost their third penalty shootout of the ‘90s. Del Piero's unique free kick technique was usually characterised by a curling strike which rose high over the wall, and then suddenly dropped into the top corner of the goal; he attributes his ability on set pieces to the time spent studying Roberto Baggio in … Del Piero’s career was on a skyward trajectory, and the 1997-98 season proved the zenith of that three year, most purple of purple patches; 32 goals were rattled in across all competitions, including 10 in the Champions League, the first time double figures had been reached since its 1992 rebranding (and the only time it was achieved in the 24 team iteration). Regarding tactics, Maldini was a meat and two veg tactician, there would be nothing spellbinding or adventurous in his style of play. It speaks of reluctance from a coach to trust two equally brilliant players to play at the same time, and rather to play one at any given time. Italy played a single friendly in the run up to the tournament, a 1 – 0 loss to Sweden, in which nobody shined with the exception of Baggio. Juve, playing to much of their final history, promptly lost. And so it proved, a dour game was decided by Vieri’s powerful finish early on, his fifth goal of the competition. I don’t really think they are comparable to be honest. The team was: Pagliuca; Costacurta, Cannavaro, Nesta, Maldini; Di Livio, Albertini, D. Baggio, Di Matteo; Vieri, R. Baggio. Rather depressingly, Maldini instructed Italy to play up to their catenaccio heritage, hoping to hit their opponents on the counter through the speed of Moriero and Del Piero. It was Maldini’s second, and last, loss over 90 minutes. Arrigo Sacchi, somewhat gleefully, refused to bring him to Euro ’96. As was Maldini. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Pessotto, a versatile and hard working player, could do little to tame Zidane, who inched and probed his way around the Stade de France turf with his usual elegance. Albertini and Di Biagio, who, along with Vieri, had been Italy’s best player throughout the competition, would have their names written alongside Roberto Donadoni, Aldo Serena, Franco Baresi, Daniele Massaro and Baggio as players who missed in shootouts. Baggio was often hidden behind the shadows of Alessandro Del Piero and Diego Maradona but many believe he was far better than both of them. The Baggio/Del Piero debate became the focal point of talk not just around the country, but also for many who were taking part at the tournament. “I’m happy with what Roberto did, but I wait for Alex (Del Piero),” Maldini said to the media. By this point Italy was divided into Baggisti and Delpieristi, echoes of 1970. biased is an understatement lol. Why wasn’t Baggio playing. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. It was as if everything and nothing had changed in 4 years. After Pasadena, Baggio was ‘vaccinated of any pressure, of any problem, of any eventual defeat’. Italy had produced rather stodgy performances, only occasionally flickering into life, and this was the Norway of Egil Olsen, long ball advocate. Baggio laid on an assist for Luigi Di Biagio in the opening quarter hour before Vieri added a further two. Against Chile, Italy lined up in a classic 4-4-2. His added muscle, needed to rebuild his knee, had taken away from his explosive agility and devastating pace, and the no.10 position was rightfully Totti’s. There arguably hasn’t been a more popular Italian player in the last half century. For Baggio, just making it to the tournament was his victory; he’d proved to the doubters that he could still make a difference at 31, that he wasn’t consigned to the history books. Baggio, not wanting to be upstaged by his former understudy, then tested Edwin van der Sar from distance. They believed Del Piero was floundering under the weight of supplanting Baggio. France ’98 was earmarked as being Del Piero’s tournament, his coronation, his coming out party. In the summer of 1997, Baggio epitomised that of the fallen idol, a player haunted by the weight of his history. They had their different strengths. After several days of waiting, with Gianfranco Zola put on standby, the prognosis came back that Del Piero’s thigh injury was only a strain, and would make the plane for France. This is actually a fantastic comparison as they are literally the same player both in terms of skillset and style of play however Baggio has the upper hand. Competition was so fierce that Zola, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Pierluigi Casiraghi – who scored the decisive winner in the qualification playoff against Russia – and a young Francesco Totti failed to make the 22. Baggio's record here pales into insignificance with only a handful of domestic titles and 1 Uefa Cup to his name. Juve started brightly, and Del Piero rattled the post with a curling free kick. Thats a tough one, I'm inclined to say Baggio. Del Piero hadn’t performed anything close to the standard he’d set at Juve against Austria or Norway. “I killed the ghost of 1994 with that penalty,” Baggio would write in his 2001 autobiography. Del Piero had a poor game, and showed little of the form that saw him rampage through most of the competition en route to the final. Let’s compare them based on goals, honours and individual achievements. Baggio, seeing that Vieri had stolen a march on the Chile’s Javier Margas, angled a beautifully weighted pass towards the center of the pitch into his path. Hailing from the northeastern corner of the peninsula, Del Piero and Baggio could be heard talking and cracking jokes in Venetian dialect whilst training. I would perhaps go for Eusebio or Puskas, or maybe Platini or Cruyff. However by May, the groundswell of support for Baggio’s inclusion was so overwhelming (in a poll run by La Repubblica, 90% of readers wanted Baggio in France), and the fact that Baggio’s 22 goals had lifted Bologna into Europe, it was evident Maldini couldn’t feasibly ignore him. Maldini came in for fierce criticism, with many pointing to his – even by Italian standards – absolute lack of willingness to win the quarter final against France. Italy’s last action of USA ’94 involved Baggio in the baking Californian sun placing the ball on circled chalk from 12 yards, and four turbulent years later he stood once again, ready to take a spot kick in Italy’s opening match at France ‘98. I still do have the Del Piero one though. totti cant even compare to baggio or del piero. In the wake of the quarter-final exit, the usual soul-searching over Italy’s football identity began. In the days leading up to the quarter final with France, Maldini became increasingly conflicted; stick with an out-of-form Del Piero or give in to the demands of the public and play Baggio? His stock plummeted to such a level that he finished 16th in the 1998 Ballon d’Or ranking. He is the third highest scorer of penalties in Serie A history, scoring 50 times out of 61 attempts, behind only Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio. Anonymous. Baggio was now seemingly yesterday’s man, evidenced by the fact that by 1996, he wasn’t even shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or, nor would he be in 1997. It’s sad Del Piero never owned the world stage in his prime. I used to have a posters of these two. The Champions League final that pitted Del Piero’s Juve against Real Madrid seemed to be a forgone conclusion. Enrico Chiesa, chief among them, asserted that if Baggio arrived, he would “go to Barcelona”. Del Piero is still one of the best Italians to ever play though. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Feeding off his knockdowns and hold up play, Baggio was now the one in the partnership that ventured beyond rather than being the link man to the centre-forward. The quarter finals of France ’98 threw up some remarkable games; Argentina vs Holland became a cult classic; Brazil and Denmark produced a five-goal thriller, and Croatia pummelled a decrepit Germany. Immobile's goals per game ratio is better than that of Roberto Baggio, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Del Piero and Hernan Crespo. Their careers resembled two ships passing in opposite directions. The issue? 6 Answers. And with a more adventurous, more daring coach, one with more inclination to attack, Italy could’ve added their fourth star sooner than 2006. Del Piero finished fourth in 1995 and ’96. Went the thinking. Should Del Piero play against Cameroon? Begin typing your search above and press return to search. It was so sad to not see Baggio, most people outside Italy still knew Baggio from 94. It seemed inevitable that he would enter the fray, yet by the time Del Piero was replaced, it was for Chiesa. News, results and discussion about the beautiful game. Italy ran out winners in what was a fairly routine 3 – 0 win against the overzealous Cameroonians. Del Piero and Ronaldo battled it out in a fascinating footballing arms race; the world’s two greatest players outdoing each other on a weekly basis; almost single handedly propelling Juve and Inter towards domestic and European supremacy. The midfielder was a survivor of the traumatic ’94 campaign and knew the ordeal his namesake had went through. Better dribbler, better with both feet, probably more creative, better goalscorer and a better ponytail to top it all off. The cooker pressure-like environment that had surrounded him for most of his career had all but faded away. Italy lined up as so: Pagliuca; Costacurta, Bergomi, Cannavaro; Moriero, D. Baggio, Di Biagio, Pessotto, Maldini; Del Piero, Vieri. He could have been on Pele and Maradona's level if it wasn't for injuries and that penalty miss. This was an issue that would rear its head in the run up to Japan and South Korea in 2002, with players, again, reportedly telling Trapattoni not to bring Baggio as the 23rd man. Angelo Di Livio thought he had scored. Two days before the Cameroon game, a test match was initiated with the three on one side in a 4-3-3 with Del Piero on the left and Baggio on the right. But I guess Juventus and Addidas thought Del Piero was more famous. It was the most bitterest of pills for Baggio, he’d played in 16 games at three World Cups and only lost one in 90 minutes, against the Republic of Ireland. Like & Subscribe for the incredible footballer, Roberto Baggio! Now with the odd speckle of grey hair that glimmered throughout his cropped hair that gave the impression of a more mature, more robust player. Full circle and all that. He lacked confidence throughout the tournament. In the end, Rivera and Mazzola played a paltry 6 minutes together, in the dying minutes of the World Cup final with Italy already soundly beaten by the sultry Brazilians. Many of the French side were hugely critical of Italy; with Zidane making the case that ‘Italy had the best strikers in the world, but didn’t know how to use them’. As was custom in that era, thousands of fans flocked to Fiumincino airport in Rome to greet the squad upon arrival. Death & resurrection: Last rites administered to historic Italian clubs, Italy and the staffetta: France ’98 and Baggio vs. Del Piero - TACTICS FC. A defence of Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Billy Costcurta and Beppe Bergomi offered wall-like assurance whilst Vieri, Baggio, Del Piero, Pippo Inzaghi and Enrico Chiesa was an attack no other team could rival. Rivera and Mazzola were asked, given their history, to weigh in with their opinions. Favourite answer. Around the turn of the millennium was a low point, then later on being benched by Ibra and co (starting only 17 of the 38 matches). So should be higher rated. Maldini would resign shortly after the tournament. But Del Piero was succumbing to the pressure. Having given the initiative to France from the kick off, the hosts dominated and were the only team trying to win the game. In my opinion Del Piero was one of the best strikers of his generation, but Baggio was one of the best forwards of all time. Niggling injuries and Inter reaching peak-Inter by sacking three coaches in six months led to Baggio losing his place in the Italy squad. ( Log Out / But, the debate lacked the intensity of the Baggio/Del Piero relay, for he wasn’t close to resembling same player after returning from injury. He almost scored with the most delightful of chips, only to see it brilliant parried over the crossbar by Jacques Songo’o.
Passato Remoto Del Verbo Soccorrere, Alissa Skovbye Once Upon A Time, Nome Giorgia In Francese, Maradona Vs Ronaldo Fenomeno, Soul To Soul Keep On Moving Remix, Agli Altri Treccani, Libri Che Parlano Di Madri, La Forza Della Vita Raf,
