The face had been covered in red paint, the “Cuore” sponsor logo in the centre of the shirt had been obscured, and both the artist’s signature and the words “You’ll Never Walk Alone” had been erased. The tribute to Franco Baresi, Milan’s legendary captain, a mural located in front of the club’s headquarters, was damaged last night. Or rather, vandalised.
It was a disgraceful act: spray-paint marks altered parts of the artwork, while other areas showed scratches and abrasions. The photograph, posted on social media by city councillor Alessandro Giungi, shows the damage inflicted on the mural in Piazza Gino Valle. The image then spread from one social network to another and from website to website.
AC Milan supporters expressed their disgust everywhere. It was, in every respect, an act of vandalism, and the club itself will be among the first to want to establish exactly what happened. Surveillance cameras in the area are expected to help investigators identify the person responsible. AC Milan immediately took action, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition.
The tributes
The incident comes less than two months after the death of the great captain, who passed away on 31 July at the age of 66.
His career was virtually impossible to replicate: twenty seasons with the Rossoneri, 719 appearances and 33 goals in total, including 470 Serie A appearances and 12 league goals. Then came the trophies: six Serie A titles, three European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, four Italian Super Cups and two European Super Cups.
With Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello on the bench, and with the captain’s armband on his arm, Baresi led Milan during a period of extraordinary dominance on the world stage between the late 1980s and the early 1990s.
As a mark of gratitude, the club retired the number 6 shirt he had worn after his retirement. This season, Milan will also wear a special commemorative patch on the left sleeve. Baresi remained closely involved with the club after ending his playing career. He worked as coach of the Primavera youth team, later became head of the youth sector, then a brand ambassador, and finally honorary vice-president.
His death was mourned throughout the sporting world, while institutions and public authorities also paid emotional tribute. Clubs from across Europe and beyond posted messages on social media in memory of the former Rossoneri captain. Politicians and other public figures did the same.
Yet it is perhaps the sporting community above all that continues to hold an indelible memory of Baresi, an admiration that transcended, and will continue to transcend, club colours and football loyalties.
Baresi was also a symbol of the Italian national team. For this reason, his memory was honoured with applause in stadiums across the country. Milan began the season away at Torino, where, in the sixth minute, the visiting Milan supporters began chanting and applauding in honour of the legend. Torino supporters in the other sections of the stadium joined in.
Also in Turin, before Juventus faced Milan at the Allianz Stadium, images of Franco were shown on the giant screen as a sign of remembrance and solidarity. In the stands, a banner reading “7-3-90, thank you Baresi” appeared, recalling the gesture with which he paid tribute to the victims of the Heysel disaster in 1990.
Baresi is universally remembered as a symbol of loyalty and integrity, appreciated and loved as a person even before being celebrated as a successful sportsman.
The person behind the mural
The artist who created the mural also spoke out about the shameful act. Known on social media as “Lucas.streetart”, he told MilanNews.it:
"Seeing my work damaged like this causes me enormous sadness. Not because of what I created, but because of the person it represented and because of all the people who were moved when they saw it."
