The interview at the World Sports Summit, with daughter Valentina
Roberto Baggioat the World Sports Summit, was interviewed by his friend and former teammate Alessandro Del Pieroin a meeting where his daughter Valentina was also present, who takes care of her father’s communication. «People wondered where I ended up – said Divin Codino – but at the end of my career I felt the need to live a normal life close to my family and to return to my land. Then, recently, I experienced a very bad episode. I’m referring to the home robbery suffered by six criminals in 2024: it changed the outlook on my lifein those months the desire was born in me to inform my family and my children of many things. They had to understand who I was, that’s why we are here together today: it’s the “fault” of Valentina, my daughter. This experience binds us even morewe share many things together which give this relationship even more energy. Being a parent is the most difficult job, you are prone to making mistakes but the love for the family always comes out.”
Valentina: «It was a shock for my father»
Valentina is the eldest daughter of the Baggio family. In Dubai, Corriere della Sera reconstructs, in addition to the father and daughter, the two younger brothers, Mattia and Leonardo, and mother Andreina were also present. «I was the only one – said the young woman – who wasn’t at home when the robbery took place, I saw how my father reacted: it was a shock in our life, so nine months ago we started to make some changes, we travel together in Italy and abroad. Not all evils have a silver lining, now I work on social media for my father and take care of his communication. I am very proud to see how many former footballers and his former teammates emotionally ask him for a photo when they see him.”
Baggio: «Buddhism saved me»
Baggio also focused on the affection received from the fans. «It’s difficult to find the right words, I just tried to play with an infinite love and passion for football and sportI tried to be the best person possible and perhaps for this reason I touched the hearts of many people. We all experience good and bad moments but what we manage to do in difficult times is decisive, this testifies to what we are in life.” And he spoke about Buddhism: «I have been practicing it for 38 years and I am eternally grateful to those who introduced me to it. It changed me for the better, it was the greatest luck I’ve had: it has profoundly changed my life, if we feel good we can make those around us feel good too and we change the environment around us. This is the essence of Buddhism: if we are not happy all this is impossible. I didn’t impose it on my children, Valentina for example isn’t.”
