Franco Baresi, AC Milan and Italy defender, dies at 66

Franco Baresi, the defender who defined AC Milan's modern era and captained Italy in two World Cup finals, has died at age 66, according to BBC Sport. AC Milan announced his death and stated that his "example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA."

Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career with AC Milan from 1977 until retirement in 1997, serving as the club's captain for 15 seasons. In that span, per BBC Sport's reporting, he made 719 appearances for the club and scored 33 goals, establishing himself as one of soccer's foundational defensive figures. His trophies at Milan included six Serie A titles and three European Cups or Champions Leagues, won in the 1980s and early 1990s.

At the international level, Baresi earned 81 caps for Italy. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 1982 World Cup. He also played and captained Italy in the 1994 World Cup final, which Italy lost to Brazil on penalties. The brief details do not disclose the cause of his death.

Baresi became AC Milan's captain at age 22, unusually young for such responsibility. He remained the custodian of the armband through some of the club's most successful periods, playing alongside generations of elite teammates and helping establish the defensive discipline for which the Rossoneri became known across Europe.

The death of such a towering figure in Italian and European soccer removes a direct link to the sport's elite defensive tradition and adds to the losses of that era's luminaries in recent years.