Franco Baresi
| ITALY | |
| 1977-1997 | |
| AC Milan | |
Like Beckenbauer, Baresi played the libero role to perfection during his two decades at Milan. Unlike Beckenbauer, Baresi concentrated more on his defensive duties, holding down the middle of field and easily dispossessing anyone who dared enter the penalty area while he was standing guard. That’s not to say he didn’t go forward, because he did. However, his primary role was to protect his keeper and win the ball, which he did with amazing success.
Baresi had a phenomenally successful career with Milan, winning six Scudetti, three European Cups, and four Italian Supercups. As an international player, he was on the 1982 World Cup winning squad, but at 22 years old, he was an unused substitute behind Italian great Gaetano Scirea (see above), albeit one that left with a Winner’s Medal. He missed the 1986 World Cup, and didn’t make his debut until 1990, when Italy hosted the tournament. With high expectations, Italy came up short, losing to Argentina in the Semi-Finals, but were able to finish third after defeating England in the consolation match. He was the skipper for the 1994 team that lost to Brazil in the Finals, and was one of the players who missed in the penalty shootout, although he did not face nearly as much criticism as his teammate, Roberto Baggio, whose miss clinched the Cup for Brazil. Throughout his career, Baresi earned 81 caps, a number that would have surely been in the triple-digits if he hadn’t been competing with Scirea.
Ultimately, his greatest influence can be seen through his protégé, Paolo Maldini. Baresi spent a lot of time tutoring his younger charge while the two of them played together at Milan. As such, when Baresi retired, he turned over his captain’s armband to Maldini in a memorable moment involving the clubs current and future icons. Only Maldini has won more matches, made more appearances, and won more trophies with the club than Baresi.
