A mural created in honour of Franco Baresi outside Milan’s headquarters in Piazza Gino Valle has been vandalised, less than two months after the death of the former Rossoneri captain. Red spray paint was used across Baresi’s face, while parts of the work were scratched and marked.
A tribute damaged outside Milan’s home
The artwork had carried the word “Cuore” across the centre of the shirt, together with the artist’s signature and the message “You’ll never walk alone”. Those elements were obscured or removed in the attack, which took place on Monday evening.
A photograph shared by Milan city councillor Alessandro Giungi showed the condition of the mural and prompted an angry response among supporters. Milan have moved quickly to establish what happened, with cameras in the surrounding area expected to assist the investigation.
The artist behind the piece, known on social media as Lucas.streetart, said the damage was painful above all because of the man portrayed and the people who had connected with the tribute.
“Seeing the work in this condition causes me enormous sadness,” the artist said. “Not because of what I made, but because of the person it represented and everyone who had been moved when they saw it.”
The weight of Baresi’s Milan story
Baresi died on 31 July at the age of 66, leaving a place in Milan’s history that few players could approach. His first-team career at the club stretched across 20 seasons, producing 719 appearances and 33 goals in all competitions.
- He played 470 Serie A matches for Milan and scored 12 league goals.
- His honours included six Serie A titles, three European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.
- He also won four Italian Super Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
- Milan retired the number 6 shirt following his playing retirement.
With Arrigo Sacchi and then Fabio Capello as coach, Baresi wore the captain’s armband through a period in which Milan became a force well beyond Italy. He was central to the Rossoneri sides that set the standard from the late 1980s into the early 1990s.
His bond with the club did not end on the pitch. Baresi later worked as Primavera coach, youth-sector chief, brand ambassador and honorary vice-president. Milan will wear a commemorative patch on the left sleeve this season.
A figure remembered beyond club colours
The response to Baresi’s death extended across football and public life. Clubs from Italy, Europe and further afield paid tribute, while institutions, political figures and other authorities offered their condolences.
For many, he represented both Milan and Italy, and the tributes in stadiums reflected that wider standing.
- At Torino, where Milan began their season away from home, Rossoneri supporters marked the sixth minute with songs and applause; Torino fans in other sections joined in.
- Before Juventus faced Milan at the Allianz Stadium, images of Baresi appeared on the giant screen.
- A banner in the stands read “7-3-90, thank you Baresi”, recalling his tribute to the victims of Heysel in 1990.
That reputation for loyalty and respect is central to the reaction to the mural’s defacement. The work was not simply a celebration of a decorated Milan captain, but a public memorial to a football figure admired well beyond the red-and-black side of the city.
