Franco Baresi, AC Milan legend, dies aged 66

Franco Baresi, the defender who redefined the position, dies at 66

The image endures: Franco Baresi lifting the European Cup wearing the AC Milan armband. That same man, the defender who turned anticipation into an art, has died at the age of 66. The historic rossoneri captain passed away this Friday, 31 July, and Italian and European football has lost one of its great icons.

His entire professional career was spent at AC Milan, which he joined as a teenager and where he stayed for 23 seasons. With him marshalling the defence, Sacchi's side and later Capello's conquered Europe and left a mark that is still remembered today. The news has reignited the debate about the greatness of that Milan side, above all at the expense of Cruyff's Dream Team.

Some argue that not even the best Barcelona of that era managed to score a single goal in the 1994 Athens final. An important nuance: Baresi missed that match through suspension, and Costacurta was out too. Others point out that Milan that night was a lesser version of the team that thrashed Real Madrid at the San Siro, and that the credit belonged to a defence that knew how to suffer and a midfield antiestéticaturing a beast like Desailly.

At the same time, there are voices questioning the cleanliness of that golden age of the Calcio. Doping suspicions surrounding Italian teams of the 1980s and 1990s have always hung over those successes, though without any firm convictions. In the midst of mourning, the controversy seems out of place.

What nobody disputes is the number: 66 years old. Just 66. A premature farewell to a monument of the game, leaving behind an AC Milan that is no longer that winning machine, now orphaned of its legend.