Rome, ItalyReuters —
Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi, one of the most recognizable players of the golden era of Italian soccer in the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 66, his former club said on Friday.
“The entire history of AC Milan is in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi. His example and integrity will be forever etched into the Club’s DNA, just as his iconic number 6 shirt is,” the club said on social media website X.
Last year, Baresi’s former club – where he served as honorary vice president – said he had undergone surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule and had been prescribed recovery treatment by a cancer specialist.
In February, Baresi was one of the torchbearers for the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Games, appearing alongside former Inter Milan and Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi, his longtime rival on the pitch.
