[misha]

I found a great article about Franco in Football Italia from 6 years ago. I was fortunate enough to see him playing few years before his retirement and he is definitely, by far ,my favorite player. He represents the true Milan spirit. Enjoy!

Golden Great: Franco Baresi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forwards get the glory but it is an unwritten law of the game that the best sides are built from the back. And according to Giancarlo Rinaldi, nobody makes that argument more eloquently than Franco Baresi

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Il Capitano

Franco Baresi was the heart of the Milan back line for so long that to this day Billy Costacurta still seems to be busy looking round for him. The word ‘influential’ barely does justice to his role in the Rossoneri’s most successful side. No wonder they didn’t dare pass on the No 6 shirt after he retired.

But success did not come overnight to the man known simply as ‘Il Capitano.’ Indeed, it was his battles with adversity which turned him into such an uncompromising opponent. His performance in brushing off injury to return for the World Cup Final in 1994 was typical of the man. Anyone who knew him would have expected nothing less.

Just the name of Baresi’s birthplace, Travagliato, meaning troubled says much about his upbringing. His mother died when he was 13 and his father passed away four years later. Along with brother Giuseppe, he was effectively brought up by his sister, Lucia. They were tough times just to keep the family going.

And on the field of play life also liked to throw more difficulties than rewards in the direction of the talented youngster. As a boy he was passed over by Inter who preferred to sign up older brother Beppe. Even Milan turned him down after two trials before he finally made it on the third attempt at the age of 14.

It was 1978, as an 18-year-old, that he made his debut for the Rossoneri and the following season he played a major part in taking Milan to their tenth title. It was the end of Gianni Rivera’s era at the club. Little did they suspect they had found another ‘bandiera’ - the Italian term for a player who comes to symbolise the side he plays for.

After this impressive start there were more testing times to come as Milan went through the ignominy of relegation for their part in a corruption scandal rocking the Italian game in 1980. Two years later and the side from the San Siro were back in Serie B again - this time just because they were really not very good.

These were bleak times for the Lombardy giants which more recent converts to that faith may not properly appreciate. Ambition at the Rossonero training ground in those days was little more than dreaming of a UEFA Cup spot. It was Inter, not Milan, who were lords and masters of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

It says much about Baresi that he came through this and was still part of the World Cup winning squad in 1982. Although his path to the first team was blocked by that other elegant libero Gaetano Scirea, it was clear his time would come. After the disastrous Mexican World Cup campaign in 1986 he got his chance and never looked back.

It was at the same time that Silvio Berlusconi took over at Milan and the club’s fortunes started to rocket. After a couple of strange signings things started to click and his side swept all before them. Franco Baresi was the conductor of some of the sweetest footballing music ever made. When the Milan defence swarmed over an opposition striker it seemed as if they had extra players on the pitch.

Baresi could time a tackle better than anyone in the game and combined that with a sharp professional brain gave him the ability to foul and get away with it. Add to that the invisible thread which seemed to link his arm to the linesman’s flag and you had one of the most complete defenders the game has ever seen.

Honours came flooding his way and few players have deserved them more. Six League titles, three European Cups, three European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and four Italian Super Cups are a pretty impressive haul. By 1997 he had realised the only way was down and decided to hang up his boots after 716 games for his club and 81 for his country.

Looking back over his glorious career he had little doubt about the best and worst moments. Everyone who watched him scale the heights of the world game would have probably chosen exactly the same ones. As football coverage threatens to reach saturation point Baresi was involved in some of the games most gripping televisual moments.

"The most beautiful and exciting moments of my career were winning the first European Cup and the first Intercontinental Cup," he said. "Knowing you are the best team in the world is a truly exhilarating experience. But I also think the Italy-Brazil World Cup Final was one of my best games, especially since it came after an injury and not even I knew if I would make it through the match," he added. "It is just a shame how the match finished. At that moment I felt as if my world had fallen in. When you get to the World Cup Final losing on penalties makes you feel powerless."

The tears he wept were shed by the whole of Italy and Milan supporters were equally inconsolable when he announced his retirement a few years later. There was not a dry eye in the house as he bid his farewell after 23 unforgettable years.

"Let us just say I’m giving up because I’m not as young as I used to be," he told his fans. "Now I have got a role as Vice-President with the task of looking after the youth side and keeping an eye out for new talent. For the time being I have no desire to be a Coach but in future who knows? I’m happy with my new post and I’ll try to help the club even though I’m no longer playing."

Nowadays Baresi is busy unearthing the new talent to make Milan a similar force at the start of this decade as they were in the last. He should certainly know a thing or two about what makes a great footballer. And if he can discover just one player anything like himself the Rossoneri will have plenty to thank him for.

STAR RATING 9/10 An inspirational leader and outstanding defender, he was the lynchpin of one of the strongest defences in the history of the game. Fast, powerful and intelligent he was the prototype of everything the modern sweeper needs to be.

Franco Baresi
Club: Milan
Born: Travagliato (Brescia), 8/5/60
Position: Defender
Ht/Wt: 1.76m/70kg
Serie A debut: Verona 1-2 Milan, 23/4/78
International debut: Italy 0-0 Romania, 4/12/82
Club: Milan
International caps: 81
International goals: 1

Honours:
6 Scudetto (1979, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996)
3 European Cups (1989, 1990, 1994)
3 European Super Cups (1989, 1990, 1994)
2 Intercontinental Cups (1989, 1990)
4 Italian Super Cups (1989, 1993, 1994, 1995)
World Cup runner-up (1994)