In an interview with the Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta Della Sport, as quoted by the AFP news agency, Baggio – during his active career as a midfielder for Juventus, Parma and Lazio – expresses concern about the supplements he was asked to take as a player to speed up his physical recovery.
He also clarifies that it was not doping but legal, approved preparations.
— I simply want to know from scientists whether the nutritional supplements we took can cause problems in our bodies in the long term, says Baggio, 51.
Mihajlovic died in December of complications from leukemia, aged 53. Vialli suffered from pancreatic cancer a few years ago and died at the beginning of January at the age of 58.
— My reasoning comes from the pain I feel after the death of Vialli, who I always considered a friend and who helped me a lot, of Mihajlovic and lots of others with whom I played in the 1990s, says Baggio.
– There are too many who have left us and I think we have to investigate which medicines were taken during that period. Maybe there’s nothing to it, maybe we’ll find out something.
Roberto Mancini, Italy’s national team captain and a teammate and friend of Vialli’s since childhood, does not share Dino Baggio’s concerns.
— We must be very careful on this subject. Unfortunately, these diseases affect all kinds of people, both those who play football and those who don’t.
Florin Raducioiu, Romanian striker, tells Orange Sport in his home country that he wants to discuss with his old club doctor in Brescia.
— I don’t know what I got for anything. They told me it was glucose. It was a pink liquid that was prepared the day before the match, in the evening at the hotel, says Raducioiu.