Until Franco Baresi came along, Gianni Rivera was arguably the finest player in AC Milan’s history. Their careers briefly overlapped, when teenager and veteran respectively. A couple of decades later, Milan named their player of the 20th century. It was Baresi, not Rivera, a sign of the heights he had reached. Another, after Baresi’s passing at just 66, came from Rivera. “The greatest defender Italy has ever produced,” he said. Which, given the importance Italy has placed on defending, was saying something.
Another came in the tribute of a man who is often described in such terms. “The greatest player I ever had the honour of playing with,” said Paolo Maldini. He inherited the Milan armband from Baresi, took the club’s appearance record – an astonishing 902 games to top a remarkable 719 – but forever looked up to the man he called “nostro Capitano”.
