Quotes from Roberto Baggio

I've never run away from my responsibilities.

I have never really been satisfied by the easily scored goal.

I liked to score, but I also liked to make somebody else score. It was something that was very satisfying, to take someone there.

I don't care about keeping seats of power.

When I was a boy, it was paradise to go hunting with my father.

Football, for me, is an infinite passion that will always be around.

I always had that joy of the game in my eyes everywhere I played, because it was the best thing, but Brescia probably had less pressure. Maybe people might perceive more enjoyment because the pressure was different, but it was the same. I enjoyed the pressure, no problem!

When I adopted Buddhism, my master taught me not to be so rigid.

I like to play with my back to the goal, but my colleagues have to tell me when I'm alone or how much room I have so I can choose to pass or to go straight for the goal.

Don't ask me to cut my ponytail.

I needed something deeper than the Catholic faith, and Buddha helps me control myself.

I don't even realize sometimes I am spending hours and hours on the field, because it is something I decide to do, not something someone else demands of me.

All the truly great players have had to demonstrate their importance and value in the most difficult competition of all.

Often, I allow teammates to take my penalties so they can have goals, but no one talks of that.

I am one with all my teammates.

It's better to have ten disorganized players than ten organized runners.

As a professional player, I consider my career closed, but I don't want to exclude the possibility in the future that I may return, but not as a player.

Modern football tends to bring out the narcissism of those who sit on the bench.

Thanks to my Buddhist faith, to the positivity that arose from prayer, I put the optimism of determination before the pessimism of logic and reason.

Only those who have the courage to take a penalty miss them.

I want to compliment Francesco Totti: scoring 206 goals is a great achievement. It does not matter that he has beat me, as he is a great player.

In Buddhism, you have to believe in yourself. You don't believe something external guides your life. You do it yourself.

The best thing to do is to find the type of play to make Italy win the World Cup, and maybe Baggio be the best player.

It is the dream of all the children of the world to play in the World Cup final.