Antonio Conte was on the fringes of the Italy team, with only one international cap, and was an unused substitute when Juventus team-mate Roberto Baggio launched that infamous penalty over the bar and Brazil won the World Cup.
‘It was incredible,’ said the Tottenham manager as he reflected on 1994 with Harry Kane on his mind. ‘We are talking about a real specialist of the penalty.’
Baggio went on to admit the miss haunted him, like ‘a wound that never closes’ and, in his autobiography, wrote how he felt himself ‘dying inside’ while thinking of the impact his miss would have back home.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says Harry Kane will not be haunted by his penalty miss like his former Juventus team-mate Roberto Baggio was by doing the same in the 1994 World Cup final
Harry Kane has returned to training and Conte backs the striker to score against Brentford
He was the third of five Italians to miss. Had he scored, Brazil could still have won by scoring the next penalty, their fifth, but Baggio, after a brilliant tournament, was the fall guy.
‘I remember very well the way he lived the moment,’ said Conte, but he does not feel the need to take Kane aside for a consolation chat or pep talk about penalties, despite the England captain firing over in similar fashion in the World Cup quarter-final against France.
‘This is another example that the best players take the responsibility and when you take the responsibility you can miss.
‘I have seen important players like Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero and now Harry miss important penalties. It happened and you have to put it outside your mind and restart. It’s not so important to find people to tell you, “Oh don’t worry”.
‘We are strong. When you play at this level, you have to be a strong person. You have to try to address negative events in the right way. Harry is a strong person. I was a strong person when I was a player.
‘For me it’s better not to speak, not to try to justify anything. We are talking about an important player and they know the way to respond.’
Kane missed a crucial late penalty in England’s quarter-final defeat by France. His Spurs team-mate Hugo Lloris was in goal
Kane, he predicts, will respond by scoring more goals, starting on Boxing Day at Brentford.
‘Harry for us is the most important player,’ added Conte. ‘A world-class striker, breaking every record and I expect him to continue to do it.
‘He’s an important reference point for me, for the players, staff and the fans.
‘He has had a good period to rest and he came back strong. He is ready to start again the second part of the season.’
After 10 days off and a return to training on Thursday, Kane is expected to start at Brentford. Hugo Lloris, who was in goal for France in the quarter-final when Kane scored one penalty and missed another, before losing the final in a shootout, was not due back at the club until yesterday and will be on the bench. Fraser Forster will start in goal.
Roberto Baggio missed a vital penalty in the 1994 World Cup final shootout defeat by Brazil
‘It was really strange to see your keeper and your striker, one against the other in a penalty situation, twice,’ said Conte. ‘When you are used to living together in the same club, to face each other like this isn’t easy.
‘The first penalty was good and Hugo was disappointed. The second, it was really strange but then I said, “OK, what happened, happened”.
‘I enjoyed the game, one of the best in the World Cup.’
Ivan Perisic, who made seven World Cup appearances for Croatia, including the third-place play-off, was back on Friday and will be in Conte’s squad, leaving only Cristian Romero of champions Argentina still absent.
He is expected back in London this week after extended victory celebrations in his home country.
‘I’m a bit worried, honestly I am,’ laughed Conte when asked about Romero. ‘Because they are celebrating in an amazing way, with four million people on the streets.
‘But he has three days more to celebrate and then has to come back and get back into the Tottenham vision.
‘We need our best players to have great motivation. Sometimes the win makes you relaxed. These are the two faces of the medals.
‘You might have missed the penalty like Harry or lost the final like Hugo but it’s the same for Romero, he has to come back with great motivation. Now we are playing for Tottenham and want the best for Tottenham.’
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