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Franco Baresi Milan retired the No 6 shirt when Franco Baresi hung up his boots in 1997. It was a gesture that underlined just what sort of a contribution the stopper made to his beloved club - and the calcio scene in general - during his 23-year career. Ranked alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Gaetano Scirea as one of the finest sweepers the world has ever seen, he was the complete central defender. For someone so great, it comes as a surprise that his path to stardom was such a problematic one. He was rejected by Inter as a teen after they opted to sign his brother Beppe instead and Milan, the team he had always supported, only snapped him up after three trials. He would be greatly rewarded for his perseverance, though. Despite being a part of a Rossoneri side which was relegated to Serie B on two occasions, things would radically change once Silvio Berlusconi took control of the giants. Thanks to the President's significant cash investment, Baresi would end his one-club career with six Scudetti, three European Cups, three European Super Cups, two Intercontinental titles and four Italian Super Cups. Baresi, who played 716 games for the outfit, was the lynchpin of one of the strongest defences the footballing world will ever see. A master reader of the game, he made sure that Mauro Tassotti, Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini and himself moved as one. Impeccable timing, tenacious tackling and a neat passer of the ball, he also had the know-how of when to foul - and get away with it. Baresi inevitably made an impact on the international scene too. A non-playing member of the 1982 World Cup winning squad, the eventual owner of 81 Italian caps became an unmovable piece of the Azzurri jigsaw once Azeglio Vicini took over after the disastrous Mexico '86 tournament. Only penalties cost him the chance of winning a second Mondiale in 1990 and 1994. Although many will remember him for missing a spot-kick in the USA '94 Final against Brazil, the 120 minutes of football that he played prior to the shoot-out was a memorable defensive master class. That display was made all the more extraordinary given that it came just 25 days after he underwent knee surgery. The tears that he shed at the end of that game were those of an Italian hero. We may have only witnessed Baresi at close quarters during the twilight of his career during the Calcio Italia era, but it was enough for us to recognise his stature in the game. And if you close your eyes for a second and think of Franco, you won't be alone in seeing a figure with a Rossoneri shirt hanging over his shorts and an 'offside' arm raised in the air. It could only be Franco Baresi…

Words: Antonio Labbate

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