Overview

• On Gianluca Gazzoli’s podcast BSMT, Baggio called his 2004 retirement “liberating” after chronic knee swelling forced days of rest following matches.
• He recalled damaging both cruciate and collateral ligaments in May 1985 and undergoing reconstructive surgery in Saint-Étienne using his vastus medialis.
• He confessed that missing the decisive penalty against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup still weighs on him and makes him uneasy watching shootouts.
• He credited Buddhist practice, which he began in 1987, with helping him cope with repeated injuries and transforming his outlook on life.
• He revealed that armed intruders threatened his family during a home invasion last year and praised tennis world number one Jannik Sinner as an inspiring role model for youth.