Franco Baresi is widely regarded as one of the greatest central defenders of all time. He spent his entire 20-year professional career at AC Milan, serving as team captain for 15 seasons and earning the nickname "Kaiser Franz". In 1999, he was voted Milan's Player of the Century, and the club retired his number 6 shirt upon his retirement in 1997.
Club Career with AC Milan:
After being rejected by Inter Milan (who chose his brother Giuseppe instead), Baresi joined AC Milan's youth system and made his Serie A debut in April 1978.
Despite staying loyal to the club through two relegations in the early 1980s (associated with a match-fixing scandal and a poor finish), he led Milan back to Serie A and became a central figure in one of football's greatest defensive lines alongside Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Mauro Tassotti.
During Milan's golden era under managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, Baresi won numerous trophies, including 6 Serie A titles, 3 European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, 4 Supercoppa Italiana titles, 2 European Super Cups, and 2 Intercontinental Cups.
International Career with Italy:
Baresi represented the Italy national team, winning the 1982 FIFA World Cup as part of the squad.
He captained Italy to a third-place finish in the 1990 World Cup (where he was named to the All-Star Team) and reached the final of the 1994 World Cup, where he missed a penalty in the shootout against Brazil.
He also played in two UEFA European Championships (1980, 1988) and the 1984 Olympics.
