Franco Baresi: Dejan Savicevic’s Heartfelt Tribute

Franco Baresi died on Friday at the age of 66. The Milan legend had been battling an illness for some time, and his passing has shocked the world of Italian soccer and beyond. In an interview with *La Gazzetta dello Sport*, Dejan Savicevic expressed his deep emotion: “I have a lump in my throat, a weight I can’t even describe. Poor Franco, I’m so sorry.”

“He was my captain, my great captain. He cared about me; he cared about us, because we were Milan. But he was Milan; there has never been—and there will never be—anyone like him. A great person, a great man. And a great teammate, a wonderful player: he had soccer in his blood, he understood everything, and had incredible vision on the field. San Siro would sing: ‘One captain, there’s only one captain.’ It was wonderful to hear those chants; they gave me goosebumps and fired everyone up.”

Franco Baresi never won the Ballon d’Or, but according to “Il Genio” (and thousands of others), he deserved it: “It’s a disgrace. It was always the Dutch who won. Rijkaard always finished ahead of him, taking the top spots. Now, with all due respect to Rijkaard, we’re talking about a midfielder—good passing, good soccer. But Baresi was something else entirely: he was a phenomenon.”

Savicevic then spoke about his relationship with the Rossoneri’s legendary No. 6: “He always helped everyone. I always felt close to him; he didn’t talk much, but he was always there. In the early days, I was going through a rough patch—I wasn’t playing, and I felt terrible. Franco would hug me and comfort me: ‘Come on, Dejan, be patient; there are a lot of us here, and we’re all good players.’ I wanted to leave, and he’d say to me: ‘Where do you think you’re going? This is Milan—where could you possibly be better off?’ And he’d tell me, ‘Don’t get upset, don’t give up.’ He never gave up. He always shared a little of his happiness with you.”