Thousands gathered in Milan on Tuesday to bid farewell to Franco Baresi, the club's iconic defender whose entire 20-year career spanned one of the sport's most successful eras. The funeral service at Sant'Ambrogio Basilica drew fellow legends including Paolo Maldini and Marco van Basten, who came to honour a teammate whose captaincy lasted 15 seasons and whose shirt number was subsequently retired as one of only two in club history.

Baresi's record at Milan included six Serie A titles, three European Cups and 719 appearances, establishing him as a towering figure in Italian football. Beyond his domestic dominance, his 81 international caps contributed to Italy's 1982 World Cup victory, and he captained the nation in the 1994 final despite the team's ultimate defeat to Brazil.