Perhaps the last of the old school of tough, uncompromising Italian defenders, Franco Baresi stands amongst the best defenders in world football.

Franco Baresi will not be the last Italian defender we take a look at but he most certainly deserves to be the very first. We shall examine his achievements at club and national level and analyse what made him perhaps the greatest defender in the history of world football.

Rejected by Internazionale at a young age, Franco Baresi spent a whole career proving that what was Inter Milan’s loss was AC Milan’s gain. Baresi is one of the few players to remain loyal to one club, spending an incredible 20 years at AC Milan. Baresi made his senior debut in 1977/8 and in his first full season the following year, he won the first of his 6 Serie A championship winning medals. He helped Milan win the Italian Super Cup 4 times and the UEFA Champions League a magnificent 3 times. Baresi was fortunate to play in some very good Milan sides over the years and when Milan won the Champions League final against Barcelona in 1994 ( a match Baresi missed through suspension) the Milan team was arguably the best club side in the history of football. Franco Baresi retired on conclusion of the 1996/7 season.

At international level, Baresi played in 3 World Cup Final tournaments in 1982, 1990 and 1994, and won a World Cup winners medal in 1982 (though he didn’t feature in the tournament). He holds a unique record of being the only non-German to have won all 3 available World Cup medals (gold, silver and bronze).

Franco Baresi’s individual honours include inclusion in FIFA’s list of 100 greatest living footballers. He was European Silver Ball Footballer of the Year in 1989, Italian League Best Player of the Year in 1990, AC Milan Player of the Century in 1999 and Italian Player of the 20th Century in 2004.

So what characteristics and features did Franco Baresi hold to make him one of the best footballers in the world? Baresi proved himself to be a natural leader and captained Milan through one of the most successful 10 year periods in the club’s history. He was a perfect mentor for Paolo Maldini (we shall take a look at him in the weeks and months ahead) and as a sweeper he was able to control the game and dictate the tempo from the back. Baresi was an intelligent footballer with a great reading of the game and a superior sense of anticipation. A player who operated with steely determination, he combined some of the old-fashioned brutality of Italian defending with a modern element of elegance. As a one club man he was of course extremely loyal.

Please take a look at the stunning video we have here of this, the greatest defender in football history.