AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi, one of the key players of the golden era of Italian football in the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 66.
Baresi captained AC Milan for 15 seasons, winning three European Cups and six Serie A titles.
For Italy, Baresi was part of the squad that won the 1982 World Cup and captained the team to the 1994 final, which ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Brazil.
Last August, Baresi underwent surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule and had been prescribed recovery treatment by a cancer specialist.
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A statement released by AC Milan on Friday morning read: ‘It’s not easy to communicate the loss of a heartbeat, one of the breaths of our soul.
‘But all of AC Milan and all AC Milan fans must try to live up to Franco Baresi. We must find strength and summon all our strength, even amid the tears and emotion of a deeply moving moment.
‘Franco has left us, after giving us just a few months ago his last great, proud image of himself in a packed stadium, connected to the entire world, for an opening ceremony of the Milan Winter Olympics that he made historic.
‘Let’s all embrace Franco’s immense memory, knowing that he will always hold our hand and give us extra motivation for every moment of our Rossoneri lives. Forever. Because Baresi is forever.’
After ending his playing career, AC Milan retired Baresi’s number six shirt, making him the first player in the club’s history to receive that honour.
Baresi was the cornerstone of the Milan and Italy defences for nearly two decades, captaining the Serie A club during the most successful period in their history and earning 81 caps for the national team.
In an era dominated by physical defenders, Baresi distinguished himself through his reading of the game, redefining the sweeper role by combining defensive authority with the ability to launch attacks from deep.
He marshalled a celebrated Milan backline featuring Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti, helping perfect the high defensive line and offside trap that underpinned the club’s 58-match unbeaten run in Serie A and earned Fabio Capello’s side the nickname “Gli Invincibili” (The Invincibles).
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