The death of Franco Baresi, the captain who defined AC Milan’s golden era, has cast a long shadow over the club’s pre-season tour of Australia. New head coach Ruben Amorim, addressing reporters in Perth on Tuesday, said the legacy of the 66-year-old libero would be his guiding principle as he attempts to revive the ailing Serie A side. “When you talk with all the staff about Franco, you see the tears in their eyes,” Amorim said. “Franco was all about the team. The team is the most important thing in our club. I will not promise results, but I can promise that I will continue the legacy of Franco.”

Amorim’s first match since those remarks will be an emotionally charged Derby della Madonnina against Inter Milan on Wednesday, part of the “Calcio Italiano” festival in Western Australia. The Portuguese, sacked by Manchester United in January, began his tenure with a 2-2 draw against Celtic in Glasgow last month and has set an immediate target of a top-four finish after Milan missed out on the Champions League on the final day of last season. “I feel that the group is really together,” he said. “The important thing is to continue with this spirit when things become difficult. In this club you need to win every game, so we need to keep that spirit all season.”

The squad has been reinforced by the return of Luka Modric, who agreed a one-year contract extension and will feature against Inter despite only recently competing at his fifth World Cup, where Croatia were eliminated by Portugal in the last 32. “We did a lot to get him back at least for one more year,” Amorim said of the 40-year-old midfielder. “I’m really pleased with him and he is ready to play some minutes tomorrow.”

After the derby, Milan will travel to Jakarta to face Chelsea on Saturday, while Inter remain in Perth to play Juventus the same day. Juventus will then meet Serie B side Palermo on 11 August to close the week-long series of friendlies. Inter manager Cristian Chivu welcomed the idea of staging a competitive Serie A fixture in the region, suggesting it be played at the start of a season to promote Italian football in a part of the world where it has yet to establish a firm foothold.