NAPLES, May 1: Italy delighted in the return and revenge of the ``divine ponytail'' today.

Roberto Baggio, out of the Italian national team since September 1995, marked his international comeback yesterday with a superb goal in Italy's 3-0 win against Poland that pushed his team ever closer to the 1998 World Cup finals.

``The revenge of the ponytail,'' declared the Daily la Stampa newspaper, referring to the trials and tribulations the 30-year-old has undergone since he helped Italy to the 1994 World Cup final.

``Italy and Baggio. Here's happiness,'' said the Gazzetta Dello Sport in a front page headline.

The AC Milan roving midfielder was called up as a last minute member of the squad and came on as a second-half substitute.

Within 12 minutes he had conjured up a virtuoso goal, his first for Italy since July 1994 when he scored twice against Bulgaria in the World Cup finals in America.

``Baggio brought out all his quiet fury, the repressed genius,'' said Tuttosport. ``He seemed the Baggio of old, more that of Fiorentina than of Juventus.''

Baggio made his name as a national hero at Fiorentina before moving to Juve in 1990 and then Milan in 1995.

The win kept Italy top of Group Two, four points ahead of England who have a game in hand and whose only hope of automatic qualification looks like beating Italy in Rome in October.

That assumes that England do what Italy, who have not conceded a goal in 497 minutes and are unbeaten since a friendly against Bosnia in November last year, failed to do earlier in the month and beat the Poles in Poland.

The goal took Baggio's tally to 25, making him equal fourth in the all-time Italian scorers' list alongside Alessandro Altobelli and the late Adolfo Baloncieri.

The match was already as good as won when he scored but the goal was proof to many that flair and artistry could once again find free expression in the national side.

Out of favour internationally with former Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi, who was widely criticised for stifling individuality, Baggio has been cooling his heels on the bench for Milan for much of the season.

Depressed and discontented, he has spoken openly of leaving since Sacchi returned to the club in December.

Teammate Gianfranco Zola, who took Baggio's place in Sacchi's post-1994 Italy, has been encouraging him to move to his former club Napoli.

That move looks unlikely given the probable cost and impending changes at Milan, with former coach Fabio Capello reported to be set to take over from Sacchi next season.

But Baggio was already the idol of the local fans last night, with chants of ``come and join us'' echoing around the San Paolo Stadium as he took to the field.

Coach Cesare Maldini, who summoned Baggio last week when doubts emerged about Zola's fitness, won praise all round for an inspired move amply rewarded.

He was also acclaimed for having restored the pride and passion to an Italian team still smarting from the Sacchi era and failure at the 1996 European Championships.

``Italy has become attractive again as in the time of Bearzot,'' commented deputy prime minister and Juventus fan Walter Veltroni, referring to the 1982 World Cup winning coach Enzo Bearzot. Maldini was his assistant at the time.

``There has been a clear break with the past,'' added federation president Luciano Nizzola.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.