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Thousands Attend Franco Baresi Funeral as Fans Jeer Owner Gerry Cardinale

Baresi's farewell highlighted his status as Milan's one‑club icon, prompting the touring squad to plan tributes in Perth ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Inter.

Overview

  • The funeral, held Tuesday at Milan's Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, drew thousands of supporters and a roll call of former teammates and football greats including Paolo Maldini and Marco van Basten.
  • Fans greeted the mourners with chants and flags but booed owner Gerry Cardinale and some club officials when they arrived, making the service a visible outlet for wider supporter frustration.
  • Most of AC Milan's first‑team were on a pre‑season tour in Australia so only injured players such as Christian Pulisic and Santiago Giménez attended in person, and the squad will wear black armbands and observe a minute's silence in Perth.
  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not posted publicly about Baresi and was reported to be unlikely to attend the funeral, with outlets saying he prefers private mourning after past personal losses.
  • Baresi spent his entire career at Milan with 719 appearances, 15 seasons as captain and multiple domestic and European titles, and his death after a period of illness has reinforced his symbolic place in the club's history and deepened tensions between fans and current ownership.