PauL (May 17, 1998) The last Serie A match this season, Bologna, in front of their home fans, beat the Italian Cup champion Lazio 2-1, with Baggio got 2 goals, one from a penalty.

This winning help Bologna to go to the Intertoto Cup this summer, which is a backdoor of the UEFA Cup.

Roberto ended up with 22 goals this season, the third top scorer, he had done enough to convince national team coach Cesare Maldini, now all we need to do is to wait until the 22nd of this month, on which Mr. Maldini will announce the World Cup squad.

Arsenal reportedly wants Baggio

PauL (May 14, 1998) A report yesterday said that English Premier League champion Arsenal coach Wenger wanted Baggio to go to London. The main reason was to strengthen the team which will need to face the European Champions League.

But the English club needs to solve some financial matters first. Because Baggio now earns about 1 million pounds in Italy, he might ask for a double in England. Also Bologna is asking for 4 million pounds, but Arsenal is planning to pay about 2 million pounds.

Baggio won despite Bologna lost

PauL (May 11, 1998) Just a few hours ago, Baggio went back to Turin, to fight against his former club in which he helped winning Serie A champion and UEFA Cup. Although Bologna lost this match 3-2, but Baggio is still on his way to go to France.

Roberto, at the 55th minute when his team was 2-1 behind, ran in the left penalty box and shot the ball to another side. This goal leveled the match which made Juventus fans worried. But Inzaghi's goal brought their smiles back.

However, the most important thing was that Cesare Maldini was watching, every move by Baggio, and his 20th goal this season. No one can stop him now, he is going to World Cup '98!

Bologna won Mexico!!

PauL (May 9, 1998) Recently Bologna had beaten South American nation Mexico 1-0, the goal was scored by Marocchi. Baggio was not in the team.

Baggio stands between Juventus and 25th title

Rome (May 8, 1998) Ex-Juventus star Roberto Baggio stands between his old club and their 25th Italian league title when Bologna meet Juventus in Turin on Sunday.

With two Serie A games to play, Juventus come into Sunday's game with a four point lead over second placed Inter Milan and will lift the title if they win on Sunday.

First, however, Juventus have to overcome their one time star, Baggio, now 31 years old but in excellent form with 19 league goals for Bologna this season.

Baggio will be highly motivated and not only because he would clearly enjoy a win against a side which off-loaded him amidst acrimony at the end of the title-winning 1995 season.

Last chance to get in World Cup squad
Baggio's main motivation, though, is that Sunday's game offers him probably his last chance to convince Italian coach Cesare Maldini he is worth a place in Italy's squad for next month's World Cup finals in France.

Maldini is expected to be in Turin on Sunday for a final evaluation of Baggio's form.

Bologna, too, will be strongly motivated since a win here could yet see them earn the right to one of Italy's two places in the mid-summer Intertoto Cup, a backdoor into next season's UEFA Cup.

Baggio may leave Italy if left off World Cup roster

A man actually

PauL (May 04, 1998) Here is a little correction, actually, the person who gave Baggio a reward was a man, not a woman. Thanks Monica in Italy for telling me this, thanks!

Fan rewards Baggio with kiss

Bologna, Italy (May 03, 1998) Roberto Baggio, keen to prove his form and secure a place in Italy's World Cup squad, won a kiss from a delighted fan after he scored a goal in Bologna's 2-2 draw with Empoli on Sunday.

A middle-aged woman dashed on to the pitch before the second half began, planting a kiss on the startled player and looping a red and blue Bologna scarf around his neck.

Baggio, 31, has scored 19 goals this season, taking his career total to 148 -- the highest among current Serie A players -- and putting himself in the running for one of only two slots left in Cesare Maldini's World Cup squad for France.

Baggio didn't understand

PauL (Apr 29, 1998) According to Associated Press, after scoring 2 goals in front of Maldini, Roberto Baggio didn't understand why he still had not been recalled to the team.

Not only Baggio, even his supporters don't understand, because he has 18 league goals this season, and now he is the player that has the most goals in Serie A, amongst the active players.

Baggio got 18 now!

PauL (Apr 27, 1998) Roberto Baggio, watched by Cesare Maldini, scored 2 important goals which may help him to go to France.

In the 39th minute, a cross from Russian Kolyvanov became a goal after Baggio's header. Baggio got his second of the match after 62 minutes, he eluded 3 Brescia players and then put the ball into the net. After that, there was 1 more goal scored by Paganin. Bologna won 3-1.

After this beautiful winning match, Bologna extended their unbeaten run to 8 matches. As stated by the coach Ulivieri, he said "Baggio's making a huge contribution to this Bologna side but, at the moment, the whole side's playing well."

Roberto now has 18 goals in total, which is only 5 goals from the top scorer, Bierhoff.

Baggio still hope to play for Italy

PauL (Apr 21, 1998) According to a report earlier, Roberto Baggio now hope that the more goals he scores, the closer he will get to the World Cup finals.

Baggio has had 16 league goals now, he said "I'd like to score 20 this season, even though I'm not setting any limits to providence. I don't know if these goals will be enough to convince the coach to call me up for the World Cup squad, but I'll keep trying."

On Sunday's winning of 3-0, one of Maldini's aides was watching Baggio's performance.

Roberto's former coach Capello said on Sunday that Baggio was back to the level when he played for Milan. But Baggio retorted, he said "Milan never gave me the chance to show what I was worth... and I'm delighted to be here and to have made the right choice. I've improved since last year, and partly because I used to have to spend my Sundays on the bench."

But now the time is running out, Maldini will announce his squad of 22 on the 2nd of June, immediately after their friendly against Sweden in Stockholm. Therefore, Baggio must catch each chance for showing his talent in the final 4 league matches.

Two coaches
PauL (Apr 20, 1998) On the 19th of April, 1998, Roberto Baggio gave the best present to his former club, two goals to AC Milan. Bologna won 3-0.

Now, two coaches should be regreted, Capello and Maldini. Milan coach Capello gave up Baggio last Summer as Roberto went to Bologna, and now he helped Bologna to beat Milan. National team coach Maldini just named the squad for the friendly match vs Paraguay, but not included Baggio. But Roby just showed that their decisions were totally wrong.

Let's hope Cesare Maldini notices his performance and brings him to France.

Disappointing decision
PauL (Apr 18, 1998) Italian national team coach Cesare Maldini had just named the squad for the friendly match vs Paraguay in Parma on the 22nd of this month. But within the 19 names, there is no Roberto Baggio, this is really a disappointing decision, to all Roberto's supporters in Italy, and from all around the World. However, this doesn't mean Baggio has no chance to play in France, because there will be some friendly matches before the World Cup begins. Let's hope Maldini can make the right choice.

Baggio and Fontolan helped Bologna to draw

PauL (Apr 12, 1998) In the Italian Serie A match Lecce vs Bologna on Saturday, although Roberto Baggio only came as a substitute during the second half, he still played a good game.

There was no goal in the first half. and until the 21st minute of the second half, Lecce player scored the first goal of the match, leading one goal. But Bologna leveled the game soonly afterward, in the 75th minute, Baggio passed from the left to the right greatly where Fontolan was free, and Fontolan easily shooted the ball into the net, 1-1. After that, there was no further goal.

Next week, Bologna will play a home match against a team that had just won over Lazio in the Italian Cup and won 3-0 over Atalanta in Serie A, Milan. Baggio's former teammate Weah is in good form, he will give a big pressure on Bologna next week.

Baggio returns!

PauL (Apr 11, 1998) After 2 weeks injury and without playing any match, World Cup '94 Italy hero Roberto Baggio will come back and play in the game against Lecce today.

Later this month, Italy is going to play a friendly match with South American country Paraguay, hope at that time Cesare Maldini can give Baggio a chance to show his talent.
Not much time left

PauL (Apr 6, 1998) Baggio had not played two matches now, and there are six league games left, if Roberto can catch these chances to show his quality to the rest of the World, he will have the possibility to play his third successive World Cup for Italy.

Baggio was in the team during World Cups '90 and '94, Italy got a second runner-up and a first runner-up respectively, after World Cup '94, he said that Italy would be the champion of World Cup '98.

In the last six league matches, Roberto has the best chances to show himself in the games vs Milan, Juventus and Lazio. Therefore, be careful Roberto, don't hurt yourself again.

Baggio goes to US?

PauL (Mar 30, 1998) These days there were always people talking about whether Baggio would go to US or not, and a lot of people didn't want him to leave Bologna, wanted him to stay.

Baggio was playing very well this season, and a few days ago, Bologna coach Ulivieri said that Roberto could play in the World Cup. Both performance and relationship are so good, as well as the plan on him by Bologna, the chance that Baggio will go to US is nearly equal to zero.

Baggio with no love?

PauL (Mar 15, 1998) In the match Bologna against Vicenza on Saturday, Baggio didn't see the visitor as his former club, he passed twice to Andersson as Bologna won 3-1.

Bologna bought Baggio with eye on bourse

Bologna, Italy (Mar 13, 1998) One of the reasons serie A side Bologna bought Roberto Baggio last summer was to boost their profile ahead of a planned stock market flotation, according to club president Giuseppe Gazzoni.

"Roberto Baggio is a very famous gentleman, whose fame reaches beyond his footballing capacities," Gazzoni said. "He is one of the very few players in the world who have been able to build himself into a brand -- the Baggio brand.

"Baggio, commercially, has been a good investment. He's upgraded the club immensely. Bologna's intangible assets with him are worth far more than they were without him."

Gazzoni, speaking after Bologna's four shareholders approved plans to float on the Milan bourse at the end of this season, said he wanted the former Italy captain and 1994 World Cup hero to stay at the club as it remodelled itself for the 21st century.

"Baggio has a two-year contract with us but we hope he'll remain with us for longer because we have plans for him," he told Reuters in an interview.

Gazzoni said Bologna would consider opening a Roberto Baggio soccer school after flotation to train young players.

"These days, it's more Baggio than Bologna," he said. "Before our match at Napoli recently I opened the paper and it wasn't 'Bologna in Naples' it was 'Baggio in Naples'. But I don't mind that at all."

With his famous pony-tail, his conversion to Buddhism, his ritual pre-match prayers and his nimble-footed, often unpredictable soccer skills, Baggio became and remains something of a cult figure for thousands of Italians.

Gazzoni, who wants to develop Bologna's ground into a leisure complex containing shops, restaurants and cinemas, said Baggio and Bologna's foreign players would also help the club to reap income from television rights.

"If you want to get international TV rights, you have to have a star who's well known outside Italy," he said. "That's where Baggio, (Swedish striker) Kennett Andersson and (Russian forward) Igor Kolyvanov can make a substantial difference."

Bologna have said they want to list on the stock exchange by the end of the current season.

Maldini decides in June

PauL (Mar 11, 1998) 30 Italian players will have a practice session in a place near Florence in mid May. Coach Cesare Maldini will name the World Cup team on the second of June.

Italy in the recent World Cup got 1 champion, 1 second place and 1 third place, the results were so good because there was a forward player that really played great in each tourment. Rossi in 1982, Schillaci in 1990, Roberto Baggio in 1994. But who knows Baggio cannot play well again?

Unfortunately lost

PauL (Mar 2, 1998) On Sunday, Bologna's home match against Parma, Baggio played a trademark freekick in the 12th minute but was saved by Parma goalkeeper Buffon, then Roberto Perfectly put the resulting corner kick onto Paramatti's head and he scored, 1-0.

However, the game was leveled four minutes later, Bologna even lost a goal in the 28th minute.

Before the end of the match, Marocchi was sent off. Bologna lost 1-2.

Italian press told Maldini to recall Baggio

PauL (Feb 25, 1998) Baggio enjoys the support of the Italian public and the media have continually highlighted every good performance and each of the 13 goals he has scored this season.

On Tuesday, the campaign moved up several gears, Italy's biggest newspaper, the Gazzetta dello Sport, told Maldini, on the front page, to take Baggio to France '98, said, "with the way he runs, the way he scores goals, the movements and the feints that he makes, Baggio seems five or six years younger. What it needs now is an act of courage: this Baggio deserves to be in the national team, not to settle past debts, for when he was the national saviour four years ago in America, but for what he is doing now on the pitch. In a World Cup season, picking Baggio could be more than just an idea, but the best of the all possible ideas. It's essential... over to you Cesare."

Baggio said, "Obviously, it's on my mind, and I'm trying to give my best every Sunday. It's a recurring dream which I've had for years. Every month, every week I've got great hopes, but who knows?"

After the horrible result of the National team in Euro '96, the Italian press demanded Sacchi's head. Now Cesare looks destined for more trouble, though probably not terminal, if he leaves Baggio behind.

Italy cancelled friendly match against Argentina

PauL (Feb 18, 1998) Italy cancelled the friendly match against Argentina. The next friendly will be on the 22nd of April versus Paraguay. And Italy will play another friendly shortly before the World Cup begins, against Switzerland, Hungary, Sweden or Portugal.

Baggio's chance

PauL (Feb 17, 1998) The 18th of February is Roberto Baggio's 31st birthday.

There was an information said that Italian national team will play a friendly match with Argentina 7 days after his birthday, that's the 25th of this month, if this is true, Baggio is going to have a chance to be recalled, because he has scored 12 goals in Italian first division soccer league, this also means Roberto is in a very good state. If Maldini gives him a chance to play this match, he will know that Italy really need Baggio in the France World Cup.

Maldini will name the squad on the 17th of May.

Baggio played half of the match, Bologna lost 1-2

PauL (Feb 16, 1998) On Sunday, Baggio was substituted after the first half, Bologna had two men sent off towards the end of the match, included Paramatti, who helped to win over Inter. The result was Bologna lost 1-2.

Baggio scored 2 goals, Bologna won

PauL (Feb 12, 1998) In the home match vs Bari on Wednesday, Baggio scored a penalty kick after 37 minutes, and in the 75th minutes, Baggio's brilliant left-foot shot, and Kolyvanov scored 2 goals, helped Bologna won 4-3.

Baggio has 12 goals in Serie A now, that's 1 goal more than Ronaldo, I think Maldini cannot find a reason not to choose Baggio to play for the National team!

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