Poor Baggio took part in three World Cups with Italy, but on all three occasions found himself on the losing side after the deeply unsatisfactory penalty shoot-out.

Baggio was a predatory striker and scored 27 goals for Italy over his long career, with only Gigi Riva, Giuseppe Meazza and Silvio Piola more productive.

The French player Michel Platini, whom Baggio replaced at Juventus, had trouble categorising Baggio, describing him as a number nine-and-a-half, who "was not really a number 10, nor was he really an all out specialist striker."

Baggio had little to reproach himself for in Italy's traumatic defeat against Argentina in 1990, successfully converting his goal attempt in the penalty shoot-out which ended in victory for the South Americans.

The 1990 World Cup will however remember Baggio for the goal that he scored against the Czechs, an impressive run and finish that left the stadium in raptures.

The wiry Italian, easily recognisable by his pony tail, was at the height of his powers during the 1993 season when his deadly skills in front of goal earned him the World and European player of the year awards.

But his season was to turn into a nightmare.

After a World Cup in which he captured the imagination of people around the world with his strong play, he moved from hero to zero in one tragic moment when he blasted his spot-kick in the shoot-out over the bar and high into the sky against Brazil. The image of a shell-shocked Baggio standing with his hands on his hips became the lasting moment of the World Cup and categorized him into the role of the tragic hero. It also sent Italy into mourning.

Baggio was also selected for the national team in the 1998 World Cup in France.

In the quarterfinal tie at France 98, Baggio successfully laid those ghosts to rest by firing home the first of his side's goals in the penalty shoot-out against the home country. But it was not to be third time lucky for Baggio as he could only look on helplessly as Luigi di Biagio sent Italy tumbling out of the competition when his penalty attempt smashed against the French crossbar.

It would be churlish to highlight only the low points in this wonderful player's otherwise glittering period at the highest levels.

Born in Caldogno near Vicenza, Baggio dazzled Italy's football lovers with his ability to score lots of goals, often in irresistible style.

He won the league and Italian Cup double with Juventus in 1995 before joining AC Milan in 1996.

Baggio, who has been a Buddhist for many years, was on the brink of claiming a spot in the Italian World Cup side in 2002 despite playing for unfashionable Brescia.

However Giovanni Trapattoni declined to take him to Asia and may have regretted the decision as Italy struggled for goals and were eliminated in the second round by South Korea.

Trapattoni called him up in a gesture of goodwill and the "Divine Ponytail" which he was fondly called played his final match for Italy in a friendly against Spain in 2004.

It was a tearful farewell following an emotional outpouring of affection from the fans and at the end of the season he announced his retirement from football.