Italian club Milan announces the death of its legend and former captain Franco Baresi at the age of 66

AC Milan announced on Friday the death of its former captain from the 1980s and 1990s, Franco Baresi, who won three European Cup titles and six domestic league championships with the club, at the age of 66.

Milan, which appointed Baresi as honorary vice president in 2020, wrote on the X platform: “Milan mourns the passing of Franco Baresi. His example and integrity will remain forever engraved in the club’s DNA, just like his legendary number 6 shirt.”

The club added: “We must remain strong and summon all our energy, even in this time of profound sorrow.”

It continued: “We lost Franco just a few months after his last public appearance in front of packed stands at San Siro, during the opening ceremony of the Milan Winter Olympics, a global event that made him unforgettable.”

Baresi, who won the World Cup with Italy in 1982 and finished as runner-up in 1994, is considered one of the greatest libero players in the history of football.

Shortly thereafter, he said: “It will take some time to regain my full strength.”

Franckino “Franco” Baresi was born in the Lombardy region in May 1960. He joined Milan’s youth academy in 1974 before being promoted to the first team in 1978, just before turning 18.

He quickly became a regular starter at age 18 and was named team captain at 22, gaining fame for his technical skills, anticipation, ball-winning ability, and outstanding leadership qualities.

Alongside Paolo Maldini, Mauro Tassotti, and Alessandro Costacurta, Baresi formed a defensive line feared by all forwards in Europe.

He retired in 1997 after making 719 appearances for the Rossoneri, a club record surpassed only by Maldini.

However, after winning the World Cup from the bench in 1982, he did not participate in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico following a disagreement with the national team coach.

Penalty shootouts in the 1990 World Cup semi-final and the 1994 final dashed his hopes of winning another world title.

During his retirement, he held various roles within AC Milan, remaining closely associated with the club except for a brief period when he served as manager of the English club Fulham.

In an interview with the newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in 2025, he said: “In the end, the experience lasted only one month. By the end of August, I had already returned to Milan.”

He added: “I realized that place was not suitable for me, and ultimately, I didn’t even start working. The umbilical cord connecting me to Milan was never cut.”