Italian coach Cesare Maldini said yesterday that one of the reasons he named Roberto Baggio in his World Cup squad was that the other players wanted him to.
"I spoke to some of the squad members and they were very enthusiastic about Baggio joining the party," Maldini told a news conference at Italy's World Cup training camp in Tuscany.
"Baggio was top scorer in the (Italian) league behind the two foreign players (Germany's Oliver Bierhoff and Brazil's Ronaldo). He's done very well this season. We hope and we believe he'll be useful to this squad."
Maldini recalled Baggio to his 22-man squad on Thursday after a eight-month absence during which the 1994 World Cup star's international career appeared to be over. He had not been picked since September last year when he made a fleeting appearance in Italy's 0-0 draw with Georgia in their qualifying campaign.
But Baggio has played superbly for his club side Bologna, which he joined from AC Milan last year in a bid to guarantee himself first-team football in the season before the World Cup.
His selection means there is no place for Chelsea's gifted playmaker Gianfranco Zola, who, although he scored his side's winner in the Cup Winners' Cup final last week, has struggled to recapture the form he showed in England last season.
"Zola was injured quite seriously," Maldini said. "He's been playing recently but he's only just recovered, although it's true he was decisive in that match (the final). But when you look at our squad and consider how few games he's played, and on the basis of what my colleagues in London told me, I decided not to take him."
Maldini said he was still waiting for a fitness test on Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero, who collected a groin strain in Wednesday night's European Cup final. Maldini has named Del Piero only provisionally. The coach has until June 2nd to announce his final squad.
