'Baggio: The Divine Ponytail' Netflix documentary on Italian great set for May 26 release

Italian football legend Roberto Baggio is widely considered among the greatest footballers of his generation. Baggio, also known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail) for his unique hairstyle, has had a controversial career. And the controversies have had an impact on his performances on the field.

Despite the controversies, he gained fame for his curling freekicks and dribbling skills besides his fierce instincts in front of the goal. His career is now all set to be documented by Netflix. Baggio: The Divine Ponytail, a documentary on his life now has a release date, with the trailer already out. 

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Roberto Baggio Netflix documentary to be released on May 26

Netflix has released the trailer of Baggio: The Divine Ponytail. The documentary will be a parallel dramatisation of the former Italian international's childhood, further through to the rise to stardom. Indeed, Baggio was unstoppable at the peak of his career and went on to win the Ballon d'Or apart from the FIFA Player of the Year accolade for his impeccable form in 1993. 

Netflix has also set the release date for the Baggio documentary on May 26, 2021. The Roberto Baggio Netflix documentary will focus on showcasing his 22-year-long career, including some key controversies. One of the key highlights of the documentary is believed to revolve around his move from Fiorentina to Juventus, apart from his conflicts with various coaches. 

Baggio's character will be played by Romulus actor Andrea Arcangeli, while the documentary is directed by Letizia Lamartine. Interestingly, this isn't the only documentary that aims to showcase the life of a former Italian football star. Sky Sport Italia are prepping up to air their documentary on Roma legend Francesco Totti later this month. 

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Baggio penalty miss: The infamous spot-kick in '94 World Cup

Baggio is infamously known for having missed a penalty kick in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Baggio arrived into the competition as one of the top football stars, the one on whose shoulders lay the pressure of carrying the Italian national team. But injuries played a spoiler early in the competition. 

He failed to score even once in the group stage of the World Cup. Italy somehow managed to edge past the group stage. Baggio however, appeared to turn the situation around within two minutes against Nigeria in the round of 16 clash. Italy were down by a goal with the clock ticking at the 88th minute. The Italian legend went on to score twice to help his side book a spot in the final eight. 

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Following his exceptional exploits in front of goal against Spain and Bulgaria in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively, Italy were up against Brazil in the final. But the striker missed out on a penalty in the tie-breaker, thus losing out on the title. The 54-year-old would go on to describe it as the worst moment of his career. 

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Image courtesy: Netflix UK Twitter, FIFA website