Style of play[edit]
Baresi is regarded by pundits as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
[7] He played his entire twenty year career with Milan, becoming a club legend.
[8] At Milan, he formed one of the most formidable defensive units of all time, alongside
Maldini,
Costacurta,
Tassotti,
Galli, and later
Panucci.
[7][8] He was a complete and consistent defender, who combined power with elegance, and he was gifted with outstanding physical and mental attributes, such as pace, strength, tenacity, concentration and stamina, which made him effective in the air.
[9] Although Baresi was capable of playing anywhere along the backline,
he primarily excelled as a centreback and as sweeper, where he combined his defensive attributes, and his ability to read the game, with his excellent vision, technique, and ball distribution skills.[10] His passing range, technical ability, and ball control allowed him to advance forward into the mifdield to start attacking plays from the back, enabling him to function as a secondary playmaker for his team, and also play as a defensive or central midfielder when necessary.
[8][9] Despite being a defender, he was also an accurate penalty kick taker. Baresi was known for being a strong and accurate tackler, who was very good at winning back possession, and at anticipating and intercepting plays, due to his acute tactical intelligence, marking ability, and positional sense.
[8][10] He was also known for his professionalism, his longevity, his outstanding leadership, his commanding presence on the pitch, and his organisational skills throughout his career, captaining both Milan and the Italian national side.
[8]