🔸Franco Baresi, the legendary captain of AC Milan and one of the greatest defenders in the history of football, has died at the age of 66. AC Milan announced the news, writing that «his model of conduct and honesty will be forever etched into the club’s DNA.»

Mr. Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career, from 1977 to 1997, in the shirt of Milan—a path that made him a symbol of loyalty in Italian football. During that time, he won six Serie A titles, three European cups (later the UEFA Champions League), two Intercontinental Cups, and two UEFA Super Cups, and with 719 appearances and 33 goals, became one of the most enduring figures in the club’s history.

From 1982 to 1994, he appeared 81 times for the Italian national team, was part of the 1982 World Cup-winning squad, and in the 1994 World Cup, despite a severe knee injury, reached the final and wore the captain’s armband. Although Italy lost to Brazil in the penalty shootout, Baresi missed his team’s first penalty.

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