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How Baggio Brought Juventus and Fiorentina to War
Juventus and Fiorentina battle on Sunday in a game that evokes mutual loathing characteristic of a derby.
For many, the most abiding legacy of Roberto Baggio is his missed penalty against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup Final. Stepping up to the spot on that day, Baggio already looked despondent, as if he knew the worst was to come. Up against the onerous expectation of the Italian public and the unnerving Pasadena heat, Baggio lost his nerve. After skying the penalty, he stood, head bowed, with frenzied Brazilian celebrations settling in all around him. That portrait of vastly differing emotions has managed to make it into most illustrated depictions of Baggio's career. It did not matter that Baggio had single-handedly taken Italy to the Final, rescuing them from the brink of a potentially embarrassing defeat against Nigeria in the round of sixteen, before scoring the winning goals against Spain and Bulgaria in the quarter and semi-finals. What mattered is Baggio had buckled when it mattered most.