‘I’m still wearing my ponytail!’ Fans and officials rejoice…Roberto Baggio came to the Osaka Expo!
His ponytail hair is still going strong.
The number of visitors to the Osaka Expo has been exploding since the start of the summer vacation season, topping 15 million on August 6, and 18 million admission tickets sold on August 13, a milestone for the expo to turn a profit.
Overseas attention has also been focused on the event, and it is said to have had a significant effect on the number of visitors, including Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Princess and Princess Astrid of Belgium, King Frederick of Denmark, and other famous royal members of the public. In late July, Roberto Baggio, 58, a former member of the Italian national soccer team and known as a “fantasista,” made a VIP appearance at the Italian Pavilion.
Baggio made his professional debut in 1981, but it was not until 1990, when he moved to Serie A club Juventus for 15 billion lire (about $1.65 billion at the time), the highest-ever fee at the time, that he became known as a world-class player. In the 1992-’93 season, he scored 21 league goals and won the UEFA Cup, leading his team to its first European championship in 17 years. For his achievements, he won the FIFA Player of the Year award and the Ballon d’Or in the same season.
The “Baggio” boom was further triggered by the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Just before the tournament, he injured his right foot, and his playing time in the preliminary league was limited and he was unable to play at all. However, in the final tournament, he played a godlike role, scoring five of the team’s six goals in the three games leading up to the semifinals. With his distinctive ponytail hairstyle, he was nicknamed “Codino” (meaning “horse’s tail” in Italian) and became a symbol of the tournament.
In the final against Brazil, the game was decided by penalty kicks, and Italy was eliminated when Baggio, the final kicker, missed. The ending was so dramatic that it was called ‘Baggio’s tournament.
Baggio’s popularity in Japan was also tremendous, and he appeared in commercials for sports drinks, video game software, and other products. The reason for Baggio’s visit to the Expo was to perform at the Kagamibiraki event at the Italian Pavilion. Walking around the Expo site with other Expo visitors, Baggio’s trademark ponytail was still in place. Visitors who noticed the ponytail would say, “Robbie! Baggio! and “Baggio! He still has his ponytail! Some fans even shouted, “You still have your ponytail! Baggio smiled and raised his hand in the direction of the voice , saying, “Grazie.
Baggio, dressed in a happi coat and holding a kagami-wari, smiled at the media and said, “I’m so happy to be here in Japan. After the event, Baggio was asked to take two-shot photos with officials from all over the world, and the excitement was not lost on those involved.
We hope to see the “fantasista” in action again the next time he comes to Japan for an alumni soccer match.
