Thousands of mourners filled Milan’s streets on Tuesday to bid farewell to legendary former defender Franco Baresi.
Key takeaways
- Baresi died at the age of 66 after suffering ill health.
- He spent 15 seasons as Milan captain, recording 719 appearances and 33 goals.
- The centre-back collected 18 major honours with the Rossoneri, including three European Cups/Champions Leagues.
- He earned 81 Italy caps and featured in the 1982 and 1994 World Cup campaigns.
- Paolo Maldini, Marco van Basten, Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Costacurta attended the service.
A remarkable Milan career
Baresi passed away last week, aged 66, following a period of poor health. He is widely considered among football’s finest defenders and led Milan for 15 years.
During his time with the club, he played 719 matches and found the net 33 times. His trophy haul with the Rossoneri comprised six Serie A championships, three Champions League titles, four Italian Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
At international level, Baresi represented Italy on 81 occasions and belonged to the team that lifted the 1982 World Cup. He also played in the 1994 World Cup final and captained the Azzurri against Brazil, who won the match.
Milan appointed him honorary president in 2020. The club had already retired the No. 6 shirt when he brought his playing career to an end.
Former teammates attend funeral
The funeral took place at the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, with several celebrated figures from Milan’s history among those present. Maldini, Van Basten, Seedorf, Baggio and Costacurta were all in attendance.
Milan’s current first-team squad is away in Australia for a pre-season tour, although some players who were not involved in the trip to the match attended the ceremony, including United States forward Christian Pulisic.
The club will honour its former skipper before Wednesday’s friendly against Inter.
