WORLD SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Roberto BAGGIO
1993
New-look cover…on the nowrecognisable white background
Mercurial Italian takes the plaudits
R
oberto Baggio is your World Player of the Year, Alex Ferguson of Manchester United is your World Manager of the Year and Parma, holders of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, are your World Team of the Year. A well-deserving trio led by a footballer in Baggio who owes his accolade to his inspirational – and goal-den – contribution to Italy’s World Cup qualification and Juventus’ UEFA Cup success. He was the winner in World Soccer’s poll – maintaining the tradition of calcio’s domination of the prize. Baggio’s career has been one long success, though not everyone has been confident his natural talent would shine through. He made his name in the top flight with Fiorentina and his transfer, in the summer of 1990, provoked riots in Florence which demanded shield and baton protection for the club offices and members of the board. Baggio had been as much a hero – perhaps even more of a hero – as Giancarlo Antognoni a decade earlier. But the Florentine fans felt betrayed because the club had sold him as soon as they had lost to Juventus
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Talisman… Baggio on duty for Italy
