Sports

UPDATED: Ex-Italy Footballer Roberto Baggio Hospitalised After Robbery Attack

Published

2 years ago

June 21, 2024

Italian football legend Roberto Baggio has been hospitalised after being attacked by armed robbers who stormed his home.

The intruders locked his family up while they watched last night’s Euro 2024 match between Italy and Spain.

According to Daily Mail Sports, Baggio, 57, was at his home in Altavilla Vicentina, a small town in northern Italy about an hour’s drive from Venice, when a gang of five broke in around 10pm local time on Thursday night.

Italy lost the game to Spain by a lone goal.

While Baggio, known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), tried to fight off the attackers, he was hit in the head with the butt of a gun before he and his family were locked in a room.

The robbers stole watches, jewellery, and money from the isolated estate where Baggio and his family have lived for 15 years.

The exact value of the stolen items is not currently known. The robbery reportedly lasted 40 minutes.

After the robbers left, Baggio managed to break his family out of the locked room. He had to go to a hospital in Arzignano, about eight miles from his home, to be treated for his forehead injury, which required stitches.

While none of his family were physically hurt, they were left terrified by the incident.

Investigating police have been handed CCTV footage to assist in their inquiry.

Speaking to Italian media through his agent Vittorio Petrone, Baggio said, “First of all, my family and I would like to thank everyone for the great love we have received. Thank you very much.”

“In similar circumstances, anything can happen, and fortunately, the violence suffered only generated a few stitches to my person, bruises and a lot of fear. Now all that remains is to overcome the fear.”

Petrone told Italian media, “The lightning attack, in full light, did not allow the activation of all the best security systems with which the villa is equipped.

“Now, from what happened, we will further strengthen the daytime detection systems throughout the entire perimeter.

“Only when you are hit do you realize the wounds left by an episode of violence and oppression suffered in your home, together with his family Roberto once again amazed me with the clarity and strength of spirit he expressed immediately following the attack he suffered.

“I am sure that Roberto will once again be the pillar on which his entire family can lean to leave this brutal attack. The investigators are working intensely to bring the culprits to justice.”

Baggio spent his entire 22-year sporting career in Italy, playing for Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and other clubs.

He won two Serie A titles and is considered one of the world’s greatest players.

A 1985 injury led him to convert from Catholicism to Buddhism, although he married his long-time partner Andreina Fabbi in a Catholic ceremony in 1989.

The couple has three children: Valentina, born in 1990; Mattia, born in 1994; and Leonardo, born in 2005.

Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

5 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.