Franco Baresi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Baresi's career was defined by resilience during Milan's darkest hours. After joining the youth system as a youngster, he made his Serie A debut on 23 April 1978 at age 17. When Milan faced relegation in 1980 due to a match-fixing scandal and again after finishing third-last in 1981–82, Baresi refused to leave. He won the Serie B title twice with the club, including the 1982–83 campaign that secured their return to Serie A. Appointed captain at age 22 following the departures of Aldo Maldera and Fulvio Collovati, he held the armband for a record 15 seasons. His loyalty was absolute; even as a World Cup winner in 1982, he stayed with Milan through their struggles, eventually leading them to six Serie A titles and three European Cups alongside managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello.

In Their Own Story

The late 1980s marked the height of Baresi's influence as the core of an all-Italian defense featuring Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti, and Christian Panucci. Under Sacchi, Milan conceded only 14 goals in 30 games during their 1987–88 title win. In the 1989–90 European Cup Final against Benfica, Baresi delivered a dominant performance as captain, securing a 1–0 victory and a clean sheet to defend the trophy. His tactical intelligence shone again in 1993–94 when he helped Milan concede just 15 goals in 34 games, setting a Serie A record for fewest goals conceded. Although suspended for the final due to yellow card accumulation, his leadership was instrumental as Milan defeated Barcelona's "Dream Team" 4–0. This era also saw him win three consecutive Supercoppa Italiana titles and reach five European Cup finals in total.

Reader's Guide

Fans should note Baresi's unique scoring record: despite being a central defender, he scored 31 goals for Milan, with 21 coming from penalties. He was the top scorer of the Coppa Italia in the 1989–90 season, netting a hat-trick of penalties against Messina, though the team finished as runners-up. His international career included a 1982 World Cup win where he did not play a single match, and a 1994 World Cup final appearance where he missed a penalty in the shoot-out loss to Brazil. He also earned honors at Euro 1980 (fourth place), Euro 1988 (semi-finals), and the 1990 World Cup (third place), where he was named to the FIFA All-Star Team. In his final season (1996–97), he scored his last goal in a 2–1 win against Padova on 27 August 1995, before retiring at age 37.

Did You Know?

• Baresi was initially rejected by Inter Milan's youth team, who chose his brother Giuseppe instead.
• He legally changed his name from Franchino to Franco in 1999.
• Despite missing the entire 1982 World Cup tournament, he won the title with Italy.
• He was named Serie A Footballer of the Year in 1989–90 and runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 1989.
• His number 6 shirt was retired by AC Milan immediately after his final season in 1997.