Albertini reveals teammates avoided penalties in 1994 World Cup final

Former Italian international Demetrio Albertini discussed the 1994 FIFA World Cup final against Brazil in a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. He recalled the historic penalty shootout in the United States, which saw Brazil secure the championship after Roberto Baggio’s famous miss. Albertini, who was 22 at the time, successfully converted his penalty along with teammate Alberico Evani. However, veteran players Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro missed their attempts before Baggio's final error. Albertini claimed that while he stepped up immediately when asked by coach Arrigo Sacchi, two teammates hid behind the bench to avoid selection. He identified the players only by their clubs at the time, stating one played for AC Milan and the other for Inter Milan. Based on the match lineup, the Milan players remaining on the field were Paolo Maldini and Roberto Donadoni, while Nicola Berti represented Inter. Albertini declined to reveal the specific identities of the players who avoided the pressure of the shootout.