Roberto Baggio mugged and assaulted during Spain-Italy match

Former Italy international Roberto Baggio and his family were held hostage for 40 minutes on Thursday while the Spain-Italy Euro 2024 match was being played when a group of violent robbers broke into their villa and locked them in a room, according to Italian media. Baggio, 57, was injured when he was hit with the tip of a gun to the forehead during the robbery at his home in Altavilla Vicentina (Vicenza, north), 'Il Corriere della sera' revealed on Friday.

The robbery began at around 22.00 local time (20.00 GMT), when the Ballon d'Or winner and his family were watching the Spain-Italy match on television and a group of at least five people, all of them armed, broke into the house. Baggio confronted them and, after a brief scuffle with one, the assailant hit him in the face with the tip of a gun, causing a deep wound, after which the former player and his family were locked in a room.

In the meantime, the thieves smashed up all the rooms and stole watches, jewellery and money without, for now, quantifying the total value of the robbery, according to the same sources. When the footballer realised that the thieves had left, he broke down the door of the room, where they spent about 40 minutes, and called the carabinieri (militarised police), who arrived at once at the villa and took away the images recorded by the surveillance cameras.

Baggio and his family were taken to hospital, where the ex-player received several stitches in the wound on his forehead, while the rest of his family members were not injured, only frightened by the violence of the attackers.

 

June 21, 2024