Famous for missing the vital penalty kick for Italy in the 1994 World Cup, Baggio has addressed why he decided not to work as a TV pundit following his playing career.
When a football player’s playing days are over, it has been common practise for them to join a TV pundit team. Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright, and a host of other retired players have all been seen on the screens of Sky Sports discussing English Premier League matches.
The prolific goalscorer has a profound love for his native Italy, the striker affirmed that Italy’s exclusion from the World Cup this year is unreasonable and demands FIFA modify the qualification procedures.
As quoted by MARCA, Roberto Baggio stated, “The biggest shame is that Italy didn’t go straight to Qatar having won the European Championship, We should change the rules. It’s scandalous, it seems crazy to me. Will these guys have earned a reward or not? If I had been in their place I don’t know how I would have reacted.”
With his playing background, which includes time spent with Italian clubs Fiorentina from 1985 to 1988, Juventus from 1990 to 1993, Internationzale in 1998, Bologna and Milan, and finally ending in 2004, after signing on September 14, 2000, he could easily land a position as a football pundit on any Italian television network.
But the football-loving fans in the world have never witnessed Roberto Baggio as a pundit on any television station after he retired from active football.
He would have been the ideal analyst to inform viewers across the world about a striker who was brilliantly performing and those that demonstrated below expectations based on his prowess upfront for goals and his dribbling talents.
The former Italy star, who had a difficult relationship with Arrigo Sacchi, so didn’t give him a call-up for Euro 96 has always disliked soccer pundits, in 2021 he taunted Sacchi and slammed TV pundits as published by a website in Italy, Football Italia.
His most recent TV pundit comments came after he expressed his displeasure to his former colleagues during an interview yesterday, August 24, 2022.
Baggio disclosed, “I find it unpleasant to judge players on the pitch, that’s why I don’t do any TV punditry work. I see colleagues who couldn’t complete 3 dribbles condemn players on air.”
