After the Deputy Prime Minister paid tribute: Milan denied rumors of Baresi's death
False rumors about the football legend spread online and led to a wave of farewell messages. The club clarified: "He is going through a complex period, please respect his privacy."
On Wednesday, false reports spread throughout Italy regarding the death of AC Milan and Italy national team legend Franco Baresi. Within a short time, the club was forced to issue an official statement denying the rumors and clarifying that while Baresi is indeed dealing with a complex medical condition, he is alive.
"AC Milan denies the fake news that has circulated in the last few minutes regarding Franco Baresi. Franco is going through a complex period, and the club stands by him, just as it stands by his family. We ask everyone to respect his privacy and refrain from spreading baseless information."
The news spread rapidly and even led the Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Salvini, an AC Milan fan, to post a farewell message on the X network, which he deleted after the club's statement was published. Several media outlets in Italy also published the report before correcting it.
Baresi, 66, has served as honorary vice president of AC Milan since 2020 and is considered one of the greatest defenders in the history of Italian and world football. He was part of the Italy team that won the 1982 World Cup and captain of the team that reached the 1994 World Cup final.
His medical struggle began in the summer of 2025. After undergoing surgery, he addressed the fans:
"It will take me some time to get back in shape. Thanks to AC Milan and all of you for the support and love."
A few months later, he returned to social media with the message "Viva la vita" ("Long live life"), and later even returned to appearing at the club's headquarters and in the stands of the San Siro. In its latest statement, AC Milan did not detail what the "complex condition" Baresi is in, nor did it clarify whether it is an aggravation or another stage of treatment.
