Franco Baresi, the former AC Milan captain and Italy great, has died aged 66.
Death announced
- Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported Baresi’s death on X on Friday.
- Romano said the defender had died earlier that morning at the age of 66, describing him as an “absolute legend” who had shaped different generations through his achievements with AC Milan and Italy.
- He also expressed sympathy to Baresi’s relatives and friends before paying tribute to him and wishing him peace.
A one-club career
Baresi devoted his entire senior career to AC Milan, representing the Rossoneri more than 700 times between 1977 and 1997.
Across two decades at San Siro, he collected six Serie A championships, three European Cups, four Italian Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. Those honours established him as one of football’s outstanding defenders.
Italy career
Baresi won 81 international caps for Italy and belonged to the squad that lifted the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Twelve years later, he led the Azzurri as captain in the 1994 World Cup final, which Brazil won in a penalty shootout.
Tributes have since emerged from throughout the football community, with clubs, former team-mates, current players and fans honouring Baresi’s exceptional career and lasting influence on the sport.
