Franco Baresi, former AC Milan defender, dies at 66

Franco Baresi, the former AC Milan defender, has died at the age of 66. His last public appearance came in February when he carried the Olympic torch into the San Siro during the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Baresi was long associated with AC Milan and the San Siro, the stadium where he had formerly played. In February’s opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics he took part in a symbolic moment, bearing the torch into the arena. That appearance stands as the most recent public engagement recorded for him.

The February ceremony at San Siro brought him back to the venue linked to his playing days. On that occasion he walked into the stadium with the Olympic flame, a scene seen by attendees at the opening of the Winter Games. Observers noted it as his final appearance before news of his passing.

Reports confirm that Baresi had been a familiar figure at San Siro, returning there in February to take part in the Olympics’ opening events. The act of carrying the torch was staged inside the stadium where he had once competed as a player for AC Milan. That moment in February remains the latest public record of his participation in major events.

Officials and those present at the opening ceremony saw Baresi carry the flame into the San Siro, linking his football legacy to the international sporting celebration. The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening in February provided the setting for that final public role. His death at 66 closes the chapter on that long public association with the club and its stadium.

Baresi’s passing at 66 is being reported following his February appearance at the San Siro for the Olympic opening ceremony. The image of him with the torch at the stadium he formerly played in will remain a noted part of his later public life.