La Prima Volta… Roberto Baggio

La Prima Volta… a brand-new series, bringing to life the maiden goals that catalysed the careers of Serie A’s greatest forwards.

Season One: Italian Icons. Episode Five: Roberto Baggio.

Roberto Baggio’s career almost ended before it had even begun.

The teenager was a key protagonist as Vicenza secured promotion to Serie B in 1985. However, at the end of that season, with a £1.5m move to Fiorentina all but agreed, he suffered a devastating knee injury. Whilst many feared he would never play again, Fiorentina honoured the deal and funded his rehabilitation.

Baggio missed the entirety of the 1985/86 Serie A season in Florence, eventually making his bow against Sampdoria in September 1986. Alas, just days later, he cruelly suffered another knee trauma requiring major surgery, keeping him on the sidelines until May 1987.

Two years on from his first injury, Baggio was ready to repay Fiorentina.

The circumstances were, however, less than ideal. With four Serie A games remaining, Fiorentina looked anxiously over their shoulder at the spectre of relegation. In an act of faith, coach Eugenio Bersellini threw Baggio into the fray. Fifteen minutes off the bench at Inter was followed by a starting berth against Torino.

Baggio did enough in those games to retain his place for the trip to champions-elect, Napoli. Just before the halftime break, with Fiorentina trailing, La Viola forward Ramon Diaz was manhandled by a posse of Napoli defenders. He went down, prompting the referee to award a Fiorentina free-kick within shooting range.

Fiorentina captain Giancarlo Antognoni initially stood over the ball before making way for the young pretender. The stadium reverberated to the sound of 80,000 howling Neapolitans. A hefty weight of responsibility sat on Baggio’s young shoulders, but Antognoni knew precisely what he was capable of.

As he stepped up, Baggio’s mind must have been awash with thoughts about the journey he’d been on. He took a deep breath…before arcing an inch-perfect low shot beyond the reach of Claudio Garella. With ice in his veins, it was a moment of fearless brilliance. This stunning goal, coming on the penultimate day of the season, earned a crucial point for Fiorentina in their survival bid.

Still only 20 years old, he had already suffered for his art, but Roberto Baggio had finally arrived in Serie A.

1:02, Baggio with ice in his veins

La Prima Volta… Season One will be back every day for six days during the international break – subscribe here to get notifications direct to your inbox. Find previous episodes here: