Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Milan on Tuesday for the funeral of legendary defender Franco Baresi. The funeral service was held at Sant'Ambrogio Basilica in Milan, where fans wearing red and black AC Milan shirts, former teammates and opponents arrived to say farewell to the former captain of Italy and AC Milan. A banner outside the church read 'Ciao capitano', while fans waved a large Milan flag bearing Baresi's name and the number 6.
Baresi died at the age of 66 after a period of ill health. Throughout a career spanning 20 years with AC Milan, he was regarded as one of the greatest defenders to play the game.
Playing career and achievements
Baresi captained AC Milan for 15 seasons, making 719 appearances and scoring 33 goals. His tenure with the club saw him win 18 trophies, including six Serie A titles, three Champions Leagues, four Italian Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and two Club World Cups.
Trophies won with AC Milan
At the end of his playing career in 1997, AC Milan retired Baresi's number six shirt, making him the first player in the club's history to receive that honor. In 2020, Baresi was made honorary president of AC Milan.
International career
Representing Italy, Baresi was capped 81 times and was part of the squad that won the 1982 World Cup. He also captained Italy in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil.
Funeral attendees
The funeral was attended by several AC Milan greats, including Paolo Maldini, Marco van Basten, Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Baggio, and Alessandro Costacurta. Former Milan coach Fabio Capello and Maldini, who played alongside Baresi in both the Milan and Italy defenses, were also among the mourners.
Members of the current AC Milan first team, including American forward Christian Pulisic, were in attendance. Gerry Cardinale, the founder of RedBird Capital Partners—the U.S. investment firm that owns AC Milan—also attended, though he was met with whistles from fans expressing frustration with the club's management.
