The coffin of Franco Baresi was carried from the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio on the shoulders of the men who knew him best. Demetrio Albertini, Alessandro Costacurta, Marco van Basten, Daniele Massaro and other former AC Milan teammates bore the weight through a sea of red-and-black flags, as thousands of supporters chanted “c’è solo un capitano” — there is only one captain. A banner hung by the Curva Sud ultras read: “Immortal legend, inimitable flag that will never stop flying. Ciao Capitano.”

Inside the basilica, the congregation spanned generations of Italian football. Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Clarence Seedorf and Dejan Savićević were among the ex-players who joined the current FIGC technical director Claudio Ranieri and Inter president Beppe Marotta. The Milan first team was absent, on a pre-season tour in Australia; only Christian Pulisic and Santiago Giménez, recovering from injuries at the training ground, represented the current squad. Owner Gerry Cardinale and president Paolo Scaroni were met with whistles and jeers from fans frustrated with the club’s direction.

Monsignor Carlo Faccendini, the abbot of Sant’Ambrogio, recalled the nickname “Piscinin” — the little one — and spoke of a man who “taught us that it is possible to become great while remaining small.” Baresi spent his entire 20-year career at Milan, playing 719 matches and captaining the side for 15 seasons. He won six Serie A titles and three European Cups, lifted the World Cup with Italy in 1982, and led the Azzurri as captain in the 1994 final. His number six shirt was retired by the club, and in 2020 he was named honorary president.

The next tribute will come on the pitch. Before Wednesday’s friendly against Inter in Perth, the Milan squad will wear black armbands and observe a minute’s silence. Coach Ruben Amorim, speaking from Australia, said Baresi would have wanted the team to continue its work: “If you could ask Franco today whether we should have interrupted our preparation, I think I can guarantee he would have preferred that we keep doing our job, defending the club.”