Milan bids farewell to a legend: Franco Baresi passes away at 66

Franco Baresi, the legendary former captain of Milan and the Italian national team, has passed away at the age of 66 after a battle with illness. Baresi spent his entire career at Milan, making 719 appearances, winning six Italian championships and three European Cups, and leading one of the greatest defensive lines in football history. The club bid him an emotional farewell.

The football world bids farewell to one of the greatest defenders of all time: Franco Baresi, the legendary former captain of Milan and the Italian national team, has passed away at the age of 66 after a prolonged battle with illness. Baresi is considered one of the greatest symbols in Milan's history and the figure most associated with loyalty to a single club. Throughout his entire professional career, he played for the Rossoneri, making 719 appearances, winning six Italian championships and three European Cups, and leading one of the greatest defensive lines European football has ever known. Milan bid farewell to their legendary captain with an emotional statement: "Milan's history weeps at the passing of Franco Baresi. His personal example and the mark he left will accompany the club forever. Just like the number 6 shirt, his legacy will remain an inseparable part of Milan's DNA." Baresi was born on May 8, 1960, in the town of Travagliato in Italy, and lost both his parents as a young teenager. Shortly after, he joined Milan's youth academy, after Inter, the team he supported as a child, rejected him for being too small and frail. He made his Serie A debut in April 1978, and at just 22 years old, he was already appointed captain of Milan. Baresi also left a significant mark with the Italian national team. He earned 81 caps, was part of the squad that won the 1982 World Cup in Spain, and later captained the team to the final of the 1994 World Cup in the United States. After retiring from playing in 1997, Milan retired the number 6 shirt, and Baresi continued to serve the club in various managerial roles. Baresi is survived by his wife Maura, his two children, and an immense legacy of loyalty, leadership, and excellence.