Franco Baresi, legend of Milan and the national team, has died

Milan has lost its historic captain, the Rossoneri number 6 par excellence. Franco Baresi – nicknamed “Kaiser Franz” or simply “il Piscinin” – succumbed to an illness at the age of 66. He was born in Travagliato, in the province of Brescia, on 8 May 1960. Only a few months ago he participated in the inauguration of the Winter Olympics.

For Milan he played for 20 seasons, becoming the second player with the most appearances for the Rossoneri, preceded only by Paolo Maldini. After his retirement from playing football, the club decided to retire his number 6 shirt forever.

From the beginning rejected by Inter to the legend of Milan

His glorious parable began almost by chance. At the age of 12 he had a trial with Inter, but the Nerazzurri rejected him considering him too frail. It was Italo Galbiati who sensed his talent and made him join the Rossoneri ranks: precisely because of his initially small physical constitution, a Milan masseur gave him the famous nickname of “el Piscinin”. From youth onwards, his rise was legendary.

The Rossoneri’s palmarès and the defense of their dreams

A libero equipped with extraordinary vision of the game, technique and sprint, thanks to his skills he could also be used as a midfielder – a role that Enzo Bearzot carved out for him in the national team. In 1989 he even came close to winning the Golden Ball, finishing second behind teammate Marco van Basten.

With the Milan shirt he won practically everything: six Scudetti, three European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and four Italian Super Cups. Together with Mauro Tassotti, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta he composed one of the strongest defensive units in the history of world football.

The epic with the Blue Jersey

He played for the national team for 13 years, wearing the captain’s armband from 1991 to 1994. He participated in the World Cups in Spain 1982 (winning as World Champion), Italy 1990 and the United States 1994 (he ended as vice world champion after a stoic final played as captain), as well as the European Championships in 1980 in Italy and 1988 in West Germany.

The nickname “Kaiser Franz” was given to him precisely in analogy with Franz Beckenbauer, consecrating him among the greatest “flags” and the strongest interpreters of the role in the history of sport.

The pain of the club and the message of society

‘Forever Captain’. This is how Milan FC announces the death of Franco Baresi on X. “The history of Milan is in tears due to the passing of Franco Baresi. His example and his depth will be, forever like his number 6 shirt, an integral and fundamental part of the DNA and of the path of the entire Club. The condolences that AC Milan offers to Franco Baresi’s entire family are the same that every Rossoneri fan offers to themselves in such a difficult hour”.

“It is not easy to communicate the loss of a beat of our heart, of one of the breaths of our soul – we read in the press release published on the club’s website -. But the whole of Milan and all the Milan fans must try to live up to Franco Baresi: we need to be strong and gather all the useful energy, even amidst the tears and emotion of a moment that weighs a lot”.

“Franco has left us – concludes the message – after having given us only a few months ago the last great, proud image of himself in a packed stadium, connected to the whole world, for an inaugural ceremony of the Milanese Winter Olympics which he made historic. Let us all embrace together the gigantic memory of Franco, knowing that he will always hold our hands and that he will give us an extra motivation for every moment of our Rossoneri life. Forever. Because Baresi is for always”.