Milan bids farewell to Baresi, a defender who defined an era

Milan came to a standstill on Tuesday as thousands of mourners lined the streets for the funeral of Franco Baresi, the legendary AC Milan and Italy defender who died last week at the age of 66, according to the BBC. The service was held at the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, where former teammates and huge crowds gathered to pay their respects, the Guardian reported in a photo gallery documenting the occasion.

Baresi, widely regarded as one of the finest defenders in the history of the game, spent his entire professional career at AC Milan, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups. His death has prompted an outpouring of grief across Italian football, with the funeral drawing figures from across the sport and the city's wider public life.

The scenes in Milan recalled the deep bond between the city and its footballing icons, a relationship that the foreign press has long noted as central to Italy's sporting identity. The Guardian's coverage, headlined 'Ciao capitano', captured the scale of the public mourning.