In the world there are several thousand good football players, several hundred first-class players and several dozen stars of the first magnitude. But only a few units managed to get into the category of “great football players”. Franco Barezi is a vivid example of dedication and dedication, the highest professionalism, devotion and loyalty to your favorite club, your favorite business. Today we will talk about this outstanding Italian defender.
Childhood
Barezi was born on May 8, 1960 in the Italian town of Travallato. All the boys in Italy literally rave about football. Those who are selected for children's football schools will have a professional future, and all those who did not like scouts will become football fans.
In Italy there is no other way. It is curious that from childhood Franco Barezi was a fan of Milan's Inter. When the boy was 11 years old, his mother tragically dies, and very soon five children lost their father. Together with his elder brother, Giuseppe, young Franco decided to try his luck and came to see the Inter football structure for children. However, the slim, low and completely undeveloped physically youth did not like scouts at all. But the overall older brother was much luckier.
There would be no happiness ...
By a fortunate coincidence, Franco Barezi was attended by a coach who was about to transfer from Inter to the camp of irreconcilable opponents. The coach saw the inclinations of a future star in an unpretentious kid and considered the huge potential. Despite the miniature dimensions, the boy had one valuable quality: he was always at the right time in the right place. That is how the ideal defender seems. Having appreciated how elegant the young player can handle the ball, the future Milan coach had no doubt that this boy should be in their structure. It is noteworthy that subsequently both brothers went out at the championship games against each other in an implacable Milan derby.
Career start at Milan
A professional baptismal footballer, a little under the age of 18, received at the end of April 1978 in a meeting against Verona. From now on, only one club throughout his career will be faithful to Franco Barezi. The biography of the football player, interesting facts and sports achievements are presented in the materials of this publication. In the debut season, the defender failed to gain a foothold in the first team. But as early as next year, Baresi’s affairs sharply went uphill: he went out in the starting lineup in all 30 rounds of Serie A and won the Scudetto as part of the Milan Grand.
Off-maturity
Franco Barezi (biography and goals of a football player are available on football resources) very early on began to demonstrate professional maturity. At the age of 19, he attracted the attention of the coach of the national team and very soon became the leader, “pillar” of defense, not only in Milan, but also in the national team of his country.
Accidental hit in the application for the World Cup
No one doubted that a footballer with such inclinations and with such potential would fall into an application for the 1982 World Cup. However, fate prepared the young defender a test of "fire, water and copper pipes." In the season 1979-1980. his club, which won a prize in the championship, was forced to leave the elite division due to suspected participation in contractual matches. Italy, despite its passion and devotion to football, was, is and will probably be a corrupt power. And scandals of this kind in Series A are not uncommon. "Milan" was sent to serve his sentence in the second division.
However, the players have not yet recovered from the experienced shame, many of them could not reach their previous game level. Therefore, the introduction of Franco Barezi in the application for the final games of the 1982 World Cup for football experts was a surprise. But here fate brought its surprises. As if in solace for the past shame, she was preparing a “compensation” in the form of gold medals of the World Cup. Despite the fact that Barezi could not reach the starting lineup for any game in the final part, he still has the world title.
Captain and best football player of Milan (according to fans)
Already at 22, Franco Barezi received a captain's armband in his native club. Soon he will be awarded this honor in the team. As we already said, throughout his long and fruitful career, an outstanding football player will be loyal to a single club. In Italy, it is customary to proudly call such “loyal man” such faithful and loyal players. During all this time, Barezi possessed all conceivable and unthinkable titles: 6 times he became the champion of the country, four times he raised the Italian Super Cup over his head, three times he owned the Champions League Cup and the same number of times the European Super Cup. Fans when choosing the greatest player of “Milan” for all times were unanimous. Their permanent captain of the glorious period from the mid-80s to the end of the 90s earned this honorary title like no other.
Fatal miss
There is only one event that an outstanding defender will regret until the end of his days. This is a miss in the penalty shoot-out in the final game at the 1994 World Cup. At that time, the Italian team gathered, under its banner, perhaps the most stellar composition in its history. Each of these outstanding players was worthy of the title of best soccer player on the planet. And if at the 1990 championship, which was held on their native Italian soil, their team looked a little “damp”, then after 4 years the main backbone of the players was in the prime of life.
However, the final match, contrary to all forecasts, was won by the Brazilian national team. The fatal blunders of the Italians in the penalty shootout were made by their leaders: Roberto Baggio and Franco Barezi (biography, rating, statistics, profile of these players are available on football resources). After Barezi missed the football world for the first and last time saw tears in the eyes of the venerable player.
Great destroyer
His football role is called the Libero. The modern game model is somewhat moving away from using a clean destroyer. The current defenders are more athletic, have high-speed skills, move a lot on the flanks. During the time of Barezi, his functions on the field were predetermined by the classic Italian defense school "catenaccio". With this drawing of the game, the libero focuses only on defense and often sins with tactical fouls. If you begin to recall the names of the best liberos on the planet, you are unlikely to get a list of a dozen names.
Unlike his famous predecessors, Franz Beckenbauer or Gerard Pisarella, Baresi scored little and did not like to join in the attacks. Throughout his long professional career, he scored just 31 goals in 532 matches. However, this fact did not bother the player himself or his fans. The element of Barezi is pure destruction. And the ideal vision of the field and the ability to calculate the combination several moves ahead made the Italian a unique and truly irreplaceable player in his role.
Retirement
He ended his glorious playing career at AC Milan in 1997, and after winning silver medals at the 1994 World Cup, he never entered the field as part of the Azzurra squadron. After completing the game practice, Franco Barezi (biography of a football player, goals, interesting facts are presented in this publication) began coaching in the youth structure. What club do you think his choice fell on? Of course, at Milan.