Rome: Italian football great Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country's match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.

Burglars broke into Baggio's house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.

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"Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear," Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.

Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals.

After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the "divine ponytail", was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.

Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.

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