Former Juventus and AC Milan footballer Roberto Baggio was injured during an armed robbery at his home in northern Italy.
According to local media reports, the incident occurred at 22:00 local time (21:00 British Summer Time) when at least five people broke into the 57-year-old man’s apartment in Altavilla Vicentina. villa.
The veteran footballer was taken to the emergency room in Arzignano where a burglar shot him with a gun and he received stitches on his forehead.
In his first public speech since the incident, Baggio thanked well-wishers, adding: “All that remains now is to overcome the fear.”
“Fortunately, the violence I suffered only left me with a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear,” Baggio added.
According to Corriere della Sera, the violent incident occurred when Baggio and his family were watching the European Cup match between Italy and Spain.
Veneto region president Luca Zaia said all Venetians hoped Baggio would recover “from this bad night”. He described the striker as “a symbolic champion of our football and our region”.
“What happened must be condemned unconditionally,” Mr Zaya said, adding that he hoped “the bandits will be brought to justice soon”.
The incident reportedly lasted about 40 minutes.
Baggio reportedly tried to stop the thieves but one of them hit him in the forehead with a gun, AFP reported.
Soon after, he and his family were locked in a room while gangsters tore the house apart in search of valuables. It’s unclear how much money was stolen in the robbery.
His family were said to be shocked by the incident in the Veneto region but were uninjured.
When the footballer thought it was safe to do so, he broke down the door to the room where they were locked and called the police.
Italian media said police had received CCTV footage of the incident and were investigating the matter.
Baggio was known as “Divin Codino” (Holy Ponytail) during his time as a national team star, leading the team to the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.
But he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout, helping Brazil win its fourth World Cup title.
He subsequently played for AC Milan and Inter Milan before retiring in 2004.
