Why this leaning score
The use of phrases such as 'Milan is in tears following the passing' and 'the heart and soul of AC Milan' suggests a strong emotional investment in Baresi's legacy, which may be typical of the club's official tone. Additionally, the framing of Baresi's accomplishments, emphasizing his 'example and integrity', implies an implicitly positive evaluation.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score +0.60 for article 132 · logged 2026-07-31
- Published
Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, with AC Milan saying their former captain's "example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA".
asserted
example → publish → DNA
Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career with the club from 1977 until he retired in 1997, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups/Champions Leagues.
asserted
he → spend → titles
Regarded as one of the greatest defenders to play the game, Baresi captained Milan for 15 seasons, making 719 appearances and scoring 33 goals.
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Baresi → regard → goals
He was capped 81 times by Italy and was part of the squad which won the 1982 World Cup.
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which → cap → Cup
He played and was captain in the 1994 final, which Italy lost to Brazil.
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Italy → play → Brazil
In 2020, Baresi became honorary vice-president of AC Milan, with the club retiring his number six shirt four years later.
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club → become → shirt
Baresi formed part of one of European football's most celebrated defences alongside Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti.
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Baresi → form → Maldini
He also lifted four Supercoppa Italianas, two European Super Cups and the Intercontinental Cup twice.
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He → lift → Italianas
In the 1994 World Cup, he returned from a knee injury to play in the final and largely nullified the threat of Brazil's Romario and Bebeto in a 0-0 draw.
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he → return → draw
It was the first World Cup final to be decided by a shootout and Baresi missed the first penalty, with Brazil eventually winning it 3-2.
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Brazil → decide → it
Baresi had surgery in August 2025 to remove a lung nodule, and his last public appearance was at the San Siro Stadium for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February.
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appearance → have → February
In a statement on X, AC Milan wrote: "Milan is in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi.
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Milan → write → Baresi
His example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA, just as his iconic number 6 shirt is."
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shirt → etch → DNA
In a further post on the club's website,, external they added: "Announcing the loss of someone who embodied the heart and soul of AC Milan is incredibly difficult.
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who → add → Milan
But everyone at the club and all the Milanisti must live up to Franco Baresi's memory.
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everyone → live → memory
"In memory of Franco, we stand united, knowing he'll guide and push us throughout our Rossoneri journey.
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he → stand → journey
"
'How will we manage without our captain?' - tributes to Baresi
Maldini, 58, who also spent his entire career at Milan, paid tribute to his former team-mate, writing on Instagram:
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who → manage → Instagram
"Today, I feel the same way I did whenever - for whatever reason - you couldn't take the field alongside us: how will we manage without our captain?
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we → feel → captain
"You taught me to fight until my very last breath, and showed me the meaning of devotion to the jersey and the true value of leadership.
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You → teach → leadership
"You protected me when I was a child, guided me as a young man, and inspired me as an adult.
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I → protect → adult
"You were the greatest footballer I ever had the honour of playing with."
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I → have → honour
Former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon shared memories of his debut for Parma competing against Baresi as a 17-year-old in 1995.
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Buffon → share → 1995
He wrote: "For a boy my age, finding myself on the field against champions like him was something incredible.
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finding → write → him
From that day on, I had an even clearer understanding of what it meant to represent football with class, leadership and respect."
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it → have → class
Inter Milan said:, external "Farewell to Franco Baresi, protagonist of the great clashes in the Milan derby and one of the figures who most defined the history of the rivalry.
"
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who → say → rivalry
Captain, team man and flagbearer of AC Milan, he lived every match-up with Inter between competition and respect, within a challenge that wrote unforgettable pages of Italian soccer."
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that → live → soccer
Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu said Baresi's death "is a sad day for the whole world, he represented being one of the greats in the history of football".
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he → say → football
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni said Baresi "was not only one of the greatest champions in (Italian) sports history, but also an example of loyalty, seriousness, and dedication".
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Baresi → say → loyalty
The head of the Italian football federation (FICG), Giovanni Malago, praised Baresi for the "romantic choice" of staying loyal to AC Milan throughout his career, "which rightfully made him enter the hearts of the fans and millions of Italians."
One of the last 'flags' - analysis
Everyone is hurting, it is a very sad day.
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it → praise → flags
Franco Baresi is a legend in Italy, one of the last so-called 'flags' - a one-club player, a player who has only worn one shirt for his entire career.
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who → call → career
After 15 years as AC Milan captain, his shirt had already been retired so no-one will ever wear the number six again - it shows how important he was for Milan, a symbol of the city.
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he → retire → city
At AC Milan they called him 'Piscinin' - it means a fragile, thin youngster in Milan dialect.
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it → call → dialect
That was his nickname when he started back in the 1970s and it was given to him by a famous Italian journalist called Gianni Brera.
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it → start → journalist
He had a trial at Inter when he was 12 and his brother Beppe was already at the club, but they rejected him.
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they → have → him
He ended up at AC Milan that way.
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He → end → Milan
But even Inter are mourning, his value has been recognised by all opponents as he is a legend not only for AC Milan.
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he → mourn → Milan
Find me a fan who didn't like or recognise the value of Franco Baresi - it is not going to happen.
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it → find → Baresi
He played alongside some of the biggest champions, Marco van Basten, Paolo Maldini, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and he was always at the same level.
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he → play → level
He won three European Cups, but there were also some sad times - the World Cup in 1994 and the penalty miss.
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He → win → 1994
He couldn't play for much of the tournament given the injury he suffered at the beginning, but he made a speedy recovery to play a great game in the final against Brazil.
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he → play → Brazil
…and 4 more, not listed.
