Sooner or later it happened to everyone. Francesco De Gregori, in his “The football lever of ’68”, also dedicated to them a verse from the history of music closely linked to football: “Nino, don’t be afraid to miss a penalty kick, it’s not like these details that a player guides himself ». Football history is full of decisive errors from the spot. Of illustrious victims, as it was for Mbappé in France-Switzerland. From Baggio to Van Basten, from Pele to Platini up to the two Argentine phenomena who for many contend for the title of the best footballer in history: Maradona and Messi.
All the greats have failed from 11 meters, suddenly seeing the goal become very small and the goalkeeper like a giant impossible to beat. Like when the Romanian Ducadam stopped four shots in Seville in the final of the Champions Cup against Barcelona, giving the trophy to Ciausescu’s Steaua. The penalties level the technical rate, not the emotional one.
Mbappé was hypnotized by the Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who plays in the Bundesliga, with the shirt of Borussia Moenchengladbach. In 1984 Graziani and Conti’s mistake from the spot cost Roma in the Champions Cup against Liverpool. In 1990 Donadoni and Serena were ensnared by Sergio Goychoechea, substitute for Nery Pumpido, between the posts of Argentina, in the semifinal of the World Cup in Italy ’90 in Naples. The mistakes of Franco Baresi and, above all, of the “Divin Codino” Roberto Baggio cost the World Cup in Los Angeles against Brazil, on July 17, 1994, after Pagliuca’s parade-hope on Marcio Santos.
Italy still ko in the next World Cup, in France: against the hosts, in the quarterfinals, Di Biagio hit the crossbar. With the Bianconeri colors on Trezeguet, Zalayeta and Montero, letting themselves be bewitched by Dida, gave the Champions League to AC Milan in the Manchester final in 2003. Whoever hurts from a penalty, perishes from a penalty: so the Rossoneri, in 2005, in Istanbul, against Liverpool, after having made a comeback from 3-0 to 3-3 in a game that has gone down in history (unfortunately for the AC Milan fans), failed from the disk with Pirlo and Shevchenko. David Trezeguet also made a mistake against Italy in Berlin, in 2006, giving her the fourth World Cup in history. Marco Van Basten was also wrong, and it was a very serious mistake, the one committed in the semifinal of the 1992 European Championship, won by Denmark. Goalkeeper Michael Schmeichel made him nervous and the Dutch ace of Milan threw the ball weakly into his long arms.
Pelé and Maradona, the two greatest in the history of football, are not free from errors: from the unforgettable “Pibe de oro” there are three mistakes in the Italian years, two of which within a few months against the same goalkeeper, the Yugoslav Ivkovic. They found themselves against each other in September 1989: Diego in Napoli, the other in Sporting Lisbon, in the Uefa Cup. On penalties Ivkovic launched the challenge: “If I want you give me 100 dollars, otherwise I’ll pay”. Maradona made a mistake and, when in June 1990, they crossed again in Argentina-Yugoslavia, in the second round of the World Cup, Diego failed again. Pelé even made a mistake in a friendly match between Roma and Santos, letting the Giallorossi Alberto Ginulfi intercept the conclusion. Michel Platini shot a penalty to the stars in the quarter-final series at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, against Brazil: however, the transalpine team went ahead and reached the semifinals. Leo Messi made a mistake from the spot in the final of the Copa America, against Chile, and then left Albiceleste for the first time. After all, as Baggio himself affirmed: “Only those who have the courage to shoot them misses penalties.” Fear must be left elsewhere.