Franco Baresi, the AC Milan captain and former Italy defender widely regarded as one of the greatest in football history, died on Friday at the age of 66.
AC Milan confirmed the news through a statement on social media. Italian media reported that Baresi had faced health problems since last year, when he underwent surgery for a pulmonary nodule. The club did not specify a cause of death.
Baresi spent his entire professional career at AC Milan, debuting in 1977 and playing more than 700 official matches before retiring in 1997. During those 20 seasons he won six Serie A titles and three European Cups, along with multiple other domestic and international trophies.
He also made his mark with the Italian national team. He was part of the squad that won the 1982 World Cup in Spain, and later captained the side that reached the final of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where Italy lost to Brazil on penalties.
AC Milan paid tribute to Baresi on its official Instagram account, posting an image of the former defender alongside the words “6 PER SEMPRE CAPITANO.” The club wrote that some people never truly leave, that some are capable of defying time, and that some will always remain a part of those who loved them. It closed the message by calling him forever its captain, a reference to the number 6 shirt the club retired in his honour after he stopped playing.
Specialists and former players considered Baresi’s ability to read play, his leadership, and his tactical intelligence the hallmarks of one of the finest defenders the game has produced.
