Brazil national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti paid an emotional tribute to former teammate Franco Baresi following the legendary AC Milan and Italy defender’s death at age 66. Baresi passed away on Friday following an illness, prompting widespread mourning across European and international football.
“You will always be my captain. Rest in peace,” Ancelotti wrote on social media, bidding farewell to the defensive stalwart he shared a storied locker room with at San Siro.
A Shared Legacy at AC Milan
Ancelotti and Baresi were cornerstones of one of the most decorated eras in club football history, playing together for the Rossoneri from 1987 until 1992, when Ancelotti concluded his professional playing career. Operating as a midfielder under managers Arrigo Sacchi and later Fabio Capello, Ancelotti anchored the center of the pitch while Baresi marshaled a legendary defensive line.
That Milan side featured a generation of global icons, including Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Paolo Maldini. Together, the squad captured back-to-back European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990, alongside domestic and international honors that cemented their place in football lore.
International Battles with the Azzurri
The partnership between Ancelotti and Baresi extended beyond club football to the Italy national team. Both players represented the Azzurri at the 1990 FIFA World Cup hosted in Italy, where the hosts reached the tournament’s semi-finals before falling to Argentina, led by Diego Maradona, in a tense penalty shootout in Naples.
Tributes from Across the Global Game
Arthur Antunes Coimbra, widely known as Zico, also joined in honoring the Italian icon. In an interview with Brazilian radio broadcaster Itatiaia, the Flamengo historic idol and former Udinese player reflected on Baresi’s immense impact on the pitch.
“Today is a very sad day for football because we have lost one of the greatest players in history,” Zico told Itatiaia. “Baresi was truly fantastic. I saw him up close, I played against him, and those of us inside the pitch know the potential that each player has. He had exceptional quality and was a great professional. He went in strong and firmly, but he always went for the ball, he always wanted to play football.”
As the football world continues to share memories of Baresi’s fierce competitiveness and elegance from the sweeper position, tributes from former peers underscore the profound mark he left on both Italian and international soccer.
Worth a look
