Franco Baresi: A Heartfelt Tribute from Agostino Di Bartolomei’s Son

Agostino Di Bartolomei’s son, Luca, paid tribute in a Facebook post to Milan legend Franco Baresi, who passed away at age 66 after a long illness. After his glorious years at Roma, Di Bartolomei moved to the Rossoneri in the latter part of his career and formed a close bond with the legendary captain: both were coached by the iconic Swedish manager Nils Liedholm.

“Up in the mountains, in Cavalese, Franco Baresi would take me by the hand and Pietro Paolo Virdis would throw snowballs at me,” wrote Luca Di Bartolomei. “There are beautiful photos from those days, but not now, not today. “Bye, Franco. Say hi to Nils and Agostino for me; I’m sure you’re already playing a game of scopone,” reads his moving tribute.

Pietro Paolo Virdis, mentioned in Luca’s tribute, posted a heart-wrenching message on social media that went viral, moving thousands of Rossoneri fans. “When fans come to eat at my restaurant, the most common question is: ‘Who’s the best player you’ve ever played with or against?’… and my answer is always the same: Franco Baresi,” wrote the former Milan forward. Virdis then added some deeply moving words: “You are among the very few people whose role replaces their name without needing to say it: ‘The Lawyer,’ ‘The President,’ ‘THE CAPTAIN’… my captain, our captain.” The former striker concluded his message with a touching reflection on Baresi’s battle against his illness: “Despite the hardships of the journey, you never gave up—not even by a millimeter—on your hope and conviction that you would win, even if it came down to extra time or a penalty shootout… and as far as I’m concerned, you won anyway… certainly not this battle against an opponent who was too strong and cunning… but in my eyes, you’ve won the immortality that belongs to the greats.”

Among the many messages of condolence, one from Ruud Gullit stands out; he shared the triumphs of Sacchi and Capello’s Milan side with Baresi: “Rest in peace, Franco Baresi. Forever my captain,” the former Dutch star wrote on Instagram. Fabio Capello, who coached Baresi during the “Invincibles” era, also couldn’t hold back his emotions. In an interview with Sky, Don Fabio said: “I’m struggling to speak. He was the conductor of the defense. He could direct the defenders and midfielders—he was the team’s true playmaker. He was a blessing for the fans, but above all for me: having a player with that strength and that balance is something truly unique.” Capello also wanted to highlight the greatness of the man as well as the champion, recalling “his great modesty, even though he was so famous.”