After 6 years of retirement Roberto Baggio is unhooking his boots! The Italian Football Federation has hired him as Technical Director for the national team which will entitle him in advising coaches and helping new talent development.
His nickname, Il Divin Cordino means The Divine Ponytail for his famous hair style and God like performances. I was only 8 when I first watched him play during World Cup 94. He was magical on the pitch. People only remember him for the penalty he missed during the final against Brazil. I could remember the disappointment on my parents face when we saw the ball go over the net. But for me, his entire World Cup performance is the reason and moment I fell in love with him and football on a whole other level. Divin Codino, mai nessuno come te!
Roberto Baggio was UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup top scorer in 1990-91, European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d’Or/Golden Ball) in 1993, and FIFA World Player of the Year 1993. He has 318 goals in all competitions, 76 goals from 91 penalties (best all time record in Italy), 32 goals in European competitions, and 9 goals in World Cup finals (Italia 90, USA 94, France 98). How could you not love him?
I got dirty yesterday from playing some real football (soccer) in the snow and mud. Pretty much had the best time of my life. Shout out to The Ringleaders for the invite.
German shoemaker Albert Messmer was the first to realize the lack of traction on a wet football (soccer) pitch. He created the first football cleat that was the foundation to what has become hummel, a performance footwear company. 81 years later, hummel had become the official sponsor of the Danish National Soccer Team and was worn by the Royal Family. 2010 marks the launch of the hummel in North America.
hummel will be available at Off The Hook.
Belgium’s gallery space, B.P.S.22 has scheduled an exhibitions dedicated to football and contemporary art. “One Shot” brings out the relationship that current artists hold with the world of football. There will be two works that illustrate the graduale installation of football media – a video portrait of Zidane by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parrione and a video portrait of George Best by Hellmuth Costard. According to the press conference release, “between these two filmed works, more than thirty years have passed, marked by fundamental changes in the world, for which the exhibition presented at the B.P.S.22 is intended to be an echo through works which approach or question football and its connections.” One Shot will run from March 6th to July 11th 2010.
This is where the nerves start to kick in months before the first game. We’re found in group F playing against New Zealand, Paraguay, and Slovakia. I have no comments aside for the fact that I’m glad we didn’t end up in the group of death.. again. I’ll be holding my breath till June.
The Football Gods have blessed me this summer. It’s been overwhelming.
River Plate vs Montreal Impact – I took my Argentina family out for this one. Huge River Plate fans. They haven’t been to a River game since they moved to Montreal.
I’ll have to say the the Inter practice and game was an obvious favorite. I got to meet Materazzi, and AC Milan’s coach Leonardo to name a few. Next summer: Maradona. No questions asked.
