It is strange to put a man on a penalty list and then spend the first paragraph on a miss. With Roberto Baggio there is no way around it.
At the Rose Bowl in 1994, in the World Cup Final shootout against Brazil, the Divine Ponytail sent the decisive kick into the stands. Italy lost the title. It is probably the most remembered missed penalty in the history of the game, and it followed a tournament in which Baggio had dragged Italy to the final almost on his own.
Why is Baggio on this list at all?
Because one evening at the Rose Bowl is not the whole story. Across roughly 20 years in Serie A he was a world-class taker of spot kicks, scoring important penalties for Fiorentina, Juventus and AC Milan. Over a club career his record from the spot was excellent.
That is what makes the 1994 miss so painful to watch even now. Technique was never his problem. Penalties are about the head as much as the foot, and one kick at the worst possible moment has sat on top of a career that deserved better.
Italy's great number ten is our number 21.
Next up tomorrow: number 20.
