Italy legend Roberto Baggio struck by gun during Euro 2024 Spain match

The Italian football legend, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1993, was injured when he was hit with a pistol.

Italy soccer legend Roberto Baggio and his family were held hostage for 40 minutes on Thursday as they watched their country take on Spain in a Euro 2024 group game. According to Italian media, armed robbers broke into Baggio’s villa, struck him on the head with a gun and locked him and his family in a room before making off with valuables.

The 57-year suffered a head wound after being struck with the butt of the weapon at his home in Altavilla Vicentina in the province of Vicenza in the north east of Italy, Il Corriere della Sera reported on Friday.

The incident began at approximately 10:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. ET), when a group of five armed robbers broke in as the 1993 Ballon d’Or winner and his family were watching Italy’s European Championship fixture against Spain on television.

Baggio confronted them and had a brief altercation with one of the assailants, who hit him on the head with the butt of his gun. The ex-Italy international and his family were then locked in a room for around 40 minutes as the thieves searched for money and valuables.

The star of the 1994 World Cup was able to break down the door and contact police once the burglars had left, and was letter taken to a nearby emergency room in Arzignano, where he received several stitches.