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Franco Baresi was not only the captain but the moral heart of great Milan team
The late centre-back defined an era of Italian defending and his collection of honours is eternal proof of his class
There are very few players who become bywords for their position, who enjoy universal acclaim. But for anybody who watched football in the late 80s or early 90s, Franco Baresi was the central defender. He was unsurpassed, obviously the best in his position in the world, the definition of the art of the defending. The oddity is, he really wasn’t like very many other defenders at all.
Baresi had just turned 19 when he won his first scudetto at Milan under Nils Liedholm. It was 1979 and Italian football was still dominated by the ideals of catenaccio. Most defences comprised a libero, two man-markers and, if you were lucky, an attacking left-back. But not Liedholm’s. The Swede was a pioneer in Serie A of zonal marking, and the idea that the game was not a series of physical battles but a question of space. Baresi was only 5ft 9in and a teenager. More traditional coaches might not have trusted him. But Liedholm saw an impeccable reader of the game, even at that age. Baresi was an ever-present, not only in the league but in the Coppa Italia and Uefa Cup as well.
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Italy World Cup winner and AC Milan legend Franco Baresi dies aged 66
Franco Baresi, who won the World Cup with Italy and was regarded as one of football’s finest defenders, dies aged 66.
Franco Baresi, the former AC Milan captain who was one of Italy’s most acclaimed defenders, has died. He was 66.
His death was announced on Friday by Milan, the football club where he spent his entire 20-year playing career. No cause of death was given.
“The entire history of AC Milan is in tears,” Milan said.
In August 2025, Baresi underwent surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule and subsequently began a course of immunotherapy.
His last public appearance was at the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February, when, along with former Inter Milan defender Giuseppe Bergomi, he carried the torch into the San Siro — the stadium he formerly played in.
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