Italian football star Roberto Baggio is in hospital after being attacked by armed robbers who stormed his villa, locked up his family and stole jewelry while they watched the European Championship match against Spain on television.

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Italian football legend Roberto Baggio has been hospitalized after being attacked by armed robbers who stormed his house and locked his family inside while they watched the Euro 2024 match between Italy and Spain last night.

Baggio, 57, was at his home in Altavilla Vicentina, a small town in northern Italy about an hour’s drive from Venice, at around 10 p.m. local time when the five-man gang broke in.

While Il Divin Codino (in English “the divine ponytail”) tried to fend off the thugs, he was hit in the head with a rifle butt and then locked in a room with his family.

The robbers stole watches, jewelry and cash, the value of which is currently unknown.

The ex-striker managed to free his family from the room where they were locked, but not before the robbers escaped. Corriere della Sera reported that the robbery lasted over 40 minutes.

To assist in their investigations, video recordings were handed over to the investigating police officers.

Baggio, meanwhile, had to be taken to a hospital in Arzignano, about 13 kilometers from his home, to receive treatment for a forehead injury that required stitches.

Although no one in his family was injured, local media reported that they were left very frightened by the incident.

Baggio spent his entire 22-year sporting career in Italy, playing for the country’s three most successful clubs, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, as well as other smaller clubs.

During this time he won two Serie A titles.

An injury in 1985, just three years into his career, threatened to end his football career. The incident changed him profoundly and he converted from Catholicism to Buddhism.

His religion became such a deep part of his identity that he proudly wore the colors of his religious school, Nichiren Buddhism, on his captain’s armband.

The band also carried the Japanese motto “We win. We must win.”

However, he never let go of his Catholic roots and married his long-time partner Andreina Fabbi in a Catholic ceremony in 1989.

After retiring from football, he became a senior official of the Italian Football Federation and headed the organization’s technical department.

But in 2013, after three years in office, he resigned on the grounds that the sports association had ignored his recommendations for promoting young talent.

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