Fiorentina

Baggio blossomed into stardom with Fiorentina, his distinctive ponytail becoming famous throughout the country. When he transferred to Juventus for a then record fee in 1990, there were riots in Florence. In his first match against Fiorentina as a member of Juventus, Baggio refused to take a penalty kick, an…

…is the city’s football team, Fiorentina—or “la Viola,” as the team is affectionately called, alluding to the players’ purple shirts. The club has won the Italian championship on only two occasions (in 1956 and 1969), but it continues to inspire fanatical support from its followers. When star Roberto Baggio was…