Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi has died on the age of 66.
Baresi is considered an AC Milan icon, having spent his complete 20-year profession with the membership, successful six Serie A titles and three prime European trophies, and captaining the staff for 15 seasons earlier than retiring in 1997.
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On the finish of his taking part in profession, Milan retired his No 6 shirt, making him the primary participant within the membership’s historical past to obtain that honour.
“The complete historical past of AC Milan is in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi. His instance and integrity will probably be without end etched into the Membership’s DNA, simply as his iconic quantity 6 shirt is,” mentioned AC Milan in a press release.
Final 12 months, Baresi’s former membership, the place he served as honorary vice-president, mentioned he had undergone surgical procedure to take away a pulmonary nodule, and had been prescribed restoration remedy by a most cancers specialist.
Baresi had been prescribed restoration remedy by a most cancers specialist – Piero Cruciatti/AFP
In February, Baresi was one of many Olympic flame torchbearers on the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Winter Video games, showing alongside Giuseppe Bergomi, the previous Inter Milan and Italy defender, his longtime rival on the pitch.
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Baresi was a part of the Italy squad that gained the 1982 World Cup and captained the staff to the 1994 closing, which led to a slender penalty shoot-out loss to Brazil, with Baresi among the many gamers who failed to attain.
He famously performed the complete 120 minutes simply 25 days after knee surgical procedure.
Baresi captained Italy to the 1994 World Cup closing – Daniel Garcia/AFP
His loyalty to Milan was established early in his profession, as he stayed with the membership via two relegations to Serie B within the early Nineteen Eighties and helped information them again to the highest flight on each events.
Baresi was the cornerstone of Milan’s and Italy’s defences for practically twenty years, captaining the Serie A membership throughout probably the most profitable interval of their historical past and incomes 81 caps for the nationwide staff.
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Former Liverpool defender and Telegraph Sport columnist Jamie Carragher wrote on X: “It is at all times a tragic day for soccer when one of many all time greats move away, and that is precisely what Franco Baresi was. I’ve at all times seen him as the best centre again I ever noticed & the last word one membership man. RIP Capitano.”
In an period dominated by bodily defenders, Baresi distinguished himself via his studying of the sport, redefining the sweeper function by combining defensive authority with the flexibility to launch assaults from deep.
He marshalled a celebrated Milan again line that includes Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti, serving to excellent the excessive line of defense and offside entice that underpinned the membership’s 58-match unbeaten run in Serie A and earned Fabio Capello’s aspect the nickname “Gli Invincibili” (The Invincibles).
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