Baresi had a long and successful career, overcoming challenges from a very young age. Raised at Unione Sportiva Oratorio di Travagliato, he lost both parents at just 14, but clung to football just as his older brother, Beppe, did.
In 1974, he joined the youth sector of Milan thanks to a recommendation from executive Guido Settembrino, after being rejected by Inter, the team he supported.
The turning point came in 1978, when Nils Liedholm gave him his Serie A debut. The following season, he became one of the key players in the Scudetto-winning side and quickly earned the club's trust, so much so that he was endorsed by a legend like Gianni Rivera, to whom, as he later admitted, he never managed to speak.
At just 22, he inherited the Rossoneri captain's armband, becoming the team's leader.
Collapse and comeback
The following years brought both great satisfaction and tough moments. He experienced Milan's two relegations, first after the Totonero scandal and then in 1982, and also overcame a serious illness that forced him to stop playing for several months. Although courted by many clubs, Baresi always chose to remain loyal to his Milan, where he would go on to make history.
The arrival of Silvio Berlusconi in 1986 marked the beginning of the club's revival, completed in 1987 with the appointment of Arrigo Sacchi. Alongside Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, and later Frank Rijkaard, the captain led the Rossoneri to the 1988 Scudetto and the European Cups in 1989 and 1990, ushering in one of the most successful eras in the club's history.
His duels with Diego Armando Maradona became legendary during those years, with Maradona paying tribute by wearing his shirt after a historic Napoli-Milan match.
The World Cup that slipped away
With Fabio Capello taking over as coach, another era of success began. Milan won four more league titles and the 1994 Champions League. For the national team, after an initial farewell in 1992, he returned at Sacchi's request and played in the 1994 World Cup, which ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Brazil in the final in Pasadena.
He was the first Italian to miss from the spot, just 25 days after suffering a meniscus tear, yet still delivered a remarkable performance.
After dedicating the final years of his career to Milan, he also celebrated the 1996 league title. The 1996/97 season was his last as a player, and in June 1997, Baresi announced his retirement, ending a career entirely devoted to the Rossoneri colours and becoming one of the greatest icons in the history of Italian football.
