Baresi speaks about love and relationship with Milan on Valentine’s Day: “Completed me” | OneFootball

It’s Valentine’s Day, and there are few people who have loved the club as much as Franco Baresi, and today, he looked back on his time with the club.

In an almost cliche way, today is the perfect time to speak to Baresi, a man who has given most of his life to his relationship with Milan. As a player, as a staff member, even working with the Foundation. Baresi breathes and adores the Rossoneri and it is not a one-way street.

Few have ever reached the status that Baresi did and still has among Rossonero, and that feeling will never go away with both parties still very much attached to one another.

For example, the defender was a large part of the 125th anniversary celebrations, as he expectedly would be, however, it shows where the club is in his heart.

Baresi spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about his experiences today to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Milan News have relayed his comments.

Two nicknames remain: ‘Piscinin’ and ‘Kaiser Franz’, in homage to Beckenbauer . Does Piscinin, which Brera also used, appeal to you even at 64?

“Yes, it reminds me of one of the people I am closest to: Paolo Mariconti, the masseur who was a very important figure for me. It was he who invented that nickname, so Milanese, when I was still a boy and already playing with the big boys in the first team. I was the Piccolino of the team.”

Piscinin became a family man in the Rossoneri. It has been written about offers from other teams turned down, especially in the B years, but what was the closest you ever came to leaving?

“As a player, never. I really don’t think there was a moment to say goodbye. Staying at AC Milan was a life choice. There was that managerial experience in England, when I had quit…”

In 2002, at Al Fayed’s Fulham: 81 days as technical director, then the farewell…

“After all, it was only a month: before the end of August, I had already returned to Milan. I realised it wasn’t the place for me and I didn’t even start working. The umbilical cord with Milan was never broken.”

And in the end, the manager did it for Milan…

“With Milan Foundation I experienced poverty, in Kenya, in Morocco. In Lebanon I got to play in the streets with children. These are emotions that completed me.”

Easy conclusion: Baresi doesn’t know how to be without Milan?

“There has always been an esteemed relationship between Milan and myself, between ups and downs. My thoughts have always been for the team and the club, never for myself, but everything has always come back to me. I was lucky enough to meet the right people at the right time.”

Berlusconi, for example…

“He has been like a father and has fulfilled my dreams. Picking up the number 6 when I quit was a huge thing.”

Gianni Rivera…

“My first captain. I had seen him play, up close, on my Sundays as a ball boy at the stadium. At first I found it hard to call him ‘tu’, he seemed a distant figure, but the reality is that he protected me a lot.

“Rivera and Bigon more than the others were there for me every day, they protected me.”

How do today’s youngsters look at Franco Baresi?

“Ah, I don’t know, you’d have to ask them. However, I see that the Milan players always look at me with great respect. I was on tour with the team, last summer in New Jersey, and you can see that they know who I am, what I have done for the club.

“Giving advice to 20-year-olds today is not easy, we have different references we see different things.”