In questi ultimi anni nessuno ha offerto tanto buon calcio e tanti argomenti di discussione. Le parole, di Eduardo Galeano, sono dedicate a Roberto Baggio. Per molti, compreso un recente sondaggio internet nel mondo, il terzo giocatore di tutti i tempi, dopo Pel e Maradona.
Una porta nel cielo il libro delle risposte, delle confidenze. degli sfoghi gentili. un'autobiografia, non un libro celebrativo. Qui, Baggio affronta tutti quei momenti di cui ancora si discute: l'addio a Firenze, il tormentato rapporto con la Juve e Torino, il rigore sbagliato a Pasadena, le troppe panchine, gli allenatori-nemici, le tante maglie cambiate, l'accusa di essere mercenario, di non essere un leader, e quella sua condizione di campione troppo bravo per potersi permettere di giocare. Un 10 la cui unica colpa l'arte inimitabile, incompatibile con un calcio ormai dominato dai kap degli schemi. Ma Una porta nel cielo anche, e soprattutto, l'istantanea in movimento della vita di un uomo che al calcio ha sempre anteposto due valori irrinunciabili: la famiglia e la fede.
Gli avversari lo aggrediscono, lo mordono, colpiscono duro. Buddha non gli evita i calci ma lo aiuta a sopportarli scrive ancora Galeano. Dalla sua infinita serenit, lo aiuta anche a scoprire il silenzio, al di l del frastuono delle ovazioni e dei fischi. Baggio sempre andato oltre. Nel buddhismo ha trovato il sentiero per andare oltre.

Vedi anche Il sogno dopo

(English description)
This is Roberto Baggio's first and only autobiography. In the year that could probably be the last one of his career the most famous Italian champion of the 90's reveals himself to us as he has never done before. On answering the pressing questions of the editors of the book - Ivan Zazzaroni (editor of Guerin Sportivo), Enrico Mattesini (publisher of Limina) and Andrea Scanzi (writer of Rigore) - he speaks of his life: his ups and downs, his dramatic as well as his sensational moments.
The book is organized in thematic chapters and opens with a shocking chapter about Roberto Baggio's Buddhist faith. In fact his Buddhist spirituality is the right key to understand the complex personality of this unique champion during and even after a match. He has always avoided banality and never liked to show himself off. He has instead lead a normal life among his few nearest and dearest his parents, his seven brothers, his inseparable wife he met when he was 15, his children Mattia and Valentina and his friends.
Baggio speaks widely of his career and answers the many criticisms against him telling us also quite openly about the difficult relationship he had with those coaches who mostly hindered his talent and his fame: Sacchi, Ulivieri and mainly Lippi.Then we can feel he is deeply moved when he names Daisaku Ikeda, that is Soka Gakkai's master, the Japanese Buddhist school he has been a follower of for 13 years. He confides us he is fascinated by the Argentinian pampas and says he goes there every summer. He gets fun out of the many jokes he has made on his friends and then he gets excited when he speaks about his love for hunting, as he thinks it is an opportunity to regain what Hemimgway called a closer relationship with the world.
In the end we are quite surprised to find out he is quite different from what the public thought he was. He is mature and introverted, he seeks refuge in nature when he needs to relax, he can watch birds flying for a long time, he likes daybreak and would do anything for his family. He is also able to give his all to what he believes in and has very close friends.

Interviste di Enrico Mattesini
Testi a cura di Enrico Mattesini e Andrea Scanzi
Coordinamento e contributi di Ivan Zazzaroni
Appendice statistica a cura di Elio Barraco, Andrea Scanzi e Francesco Ciabatti