Baresi: ‘Milan gave meaning to my life, I didn’t even start working at Fulham’ | OneFootball

Milan honorary vice-president Franco Baresi says the Rossoneri ‘gave meaning’ to his life after losing his parents as a teenager and admits he ‘didn’t even start working’ as a Fulham director: ‘I realized that place wasn’t for me.’

Milan legend Baresi released an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, talking about his career with the Rossoneri and his life after retirement.

“I remember being a Milan fan, watching these colours even when I was 10 years old,” he said.

“I first arrived at Milanello at 14, and it felt like entering paradise. I lost my mother and father when I was still a teenager, and Milan welcomed me. It gave meaning to everything. I turned pain into anger and determination. That’s how it was for my entire career.

Baresi: ‘Milan gave meaning to my life, I didn’t even start working at Fulham’

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: Filippo Inzaghi, Franco Baresi and Marco van Basten with their commemorative plate after being inducted in to the AC Milan Hall of Fame prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Genoa at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 15, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“My story with Milan is hard to repeat. I believe there are very few relationships like this,” continued Baresi.

“Milan gave meaning to my life, and together, we returned to winning in those years with Sacchi.”

After his retirement, Baresi briefly worked as a Milan director before being appointed as Fulham’s technical director, but he only remained at the club for 81 days.

“In truth, it was only a month,” he said.

“Before the end of August, I was already back in Milan. I realized that place wasn’t for me, and honestly, I didn’t even start working there. The umbilical cord with Milan was never broken.”

The Rossoneri legend returned to Milan and took on several roles before being named the club’s honorary vice president in 2020.

“With Fondazione Milan, I encountered poverty in Kenya and Morocco. In Lebanon, I played football in the streets with children. These experiences completed me emotionally,” he said.

“There has always been a relationship of mutual respect between me and Milan, through ups and downs. My thoughts were always for the team and the club, never for myself, but everything always came back to me. I was lucky to meet the right people at the right time.”

Including former President Silvio Berlusconi.

“He was like a father and made my dreams come true,” argued Baresi.

“Retiring the No. 6 when I stopped playing was an enormous gesture.”

How can a legend like him inspire young players?

“Oh, I don’t know, you’d have to ask them,” he admitted.

“But I see that Milan players always look at me with great respect. I was on tour with the team last summer in New Jersey, and you can tell they know who I am and what I did for the club. Giving advice to today’s twenty-year-olds isn’t easy. We have different references; we see things differently.”