Latest news with #FrancoBaresi
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi backs Massimiliano Allegri to make Rossoneri competitive again
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi believes players carry the responsibility to be ambassadors for their clubs on overseas tours. PHOTO: AC Milan via Getty Images SINGAPORE – After recording their worst league finish in 10 seasons, AC Milan are in dire need of a restart, one that is set to begin in Singapore. The Rossoneri, who sacked coach Sergio Conceicao after missing out on European football next term with an eighth-placed league finish in the recently concluded season, will have a familiar face at the helm when they embark on their pre-season tour in the Republic in July. Veteran coach Massimiliano Allegri, 57, has returned to the club and the Italian's first assignment will be a friendly against Arsenal at the National Stadium on July 23. It is part of the Singapore Festival of Football, which will also feature an Arsenal-Newcastle United friendly at the same venue on July 27. The return of Allegri, who guided the Rossoneri to the Serie A title in 2011 before winning the league and Coppa Italia five times apiece and reaching the Champions League final twice with Juventus, has sparked optimism among the Milan faithful, including legend Franco Baresi. In a phone interview with Singapore media on June 4, the former defender told The Straits Times that the Festival of Football will be 'a great opportunity to restart with great enthusiasm'. 'Allegri is a coach with fantastic experience, so he will be able to work well with the team, with the players, to give them the kind of serenity and conviction to get back, to be competitive again,' said the 65-year-old Italian via a translator. Their past season has been marked with instability, despite beating arch-rivals Inter Milan 3-2 in January's Italian Super Cup final. Stefano Pioli, who guided Milan to the Scudetto in 2022, was dismissed last summer. He was replaced by Paulo Fonseca, who lasted six months, before Conceicao got the sack after just five months. While he declined to assess the recent season, Baresi, who is also Milan's honorary vice-president, said: 'With the new coach, there will be a lot of willingness to get back on our feet and start the new season in the best way. 'These are games that are very useful... for the players to get to know the coach, for the coach to get to know the players, and for everybody to get to know any new players who might arrive in the summer. 'So, this game is very important to start to play well together and understand what the ideas of the new coach will be... and to get ready for the new season in terms of finding good team morale and teamwork on the pitch , and also to be physically ready.' Changes are afoot in the Milan camp, with players being linked with moves. Several media outlets, including the BBC, reported on June 4 that their Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has agreed terms with Manchester City ahead of €55 million (S$80.9 million) move. Meanwhile, Real Madrid icon Luka Modric will reportedly join Milan after the June 14-July 13 Club World Cup. While Baresi stopped short of confirming the 39-year-old Croat's arrival, he did pick out players from the current side whom he admires and hopes will set the National Stadium alight on their first visit here. 'I like players of great technical ability and quality. When I think of children who go to the San Siro and watch the team play , the ones who would probably excite them most are Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, who can really thrill with their skills and velocity ,' said the one-club man, who played 719 games for Milan across 20 seasons. The model pro, who also has 81 caps and was part of Italy's World Cup-winning side in 1982, also chimed in on the responsibility of players to represent their club and country well while on overseas duty, after two Manchester United players were seen flashing middle fingers during the club's post-season tour of Asia. He said: 'We always need to prove that we are professionals at the end of the day, because we have a huge responsibility towards our millions and millions of fans across the globe. So the most important thing is to represent the club with our best.' Tickets for the Singapore Festival of Football start from $108 and are available on Ticketek. David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
South China Morning Post
01-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi excited for ‘historic' Liverpool rivalry in Hong Kong
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi said he was excited to see one of Europe's most 'historic rivalries' played out in Hong Kong when his old club visit the city this summer. Advertisement Monday saw the announcement of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025 at Kai Tak Stadium, in which Milan will take on Liverpool on July 26 before Arsenal face Tottenham five days later. The Rossoneri have been crowned European champions on seven occasions, while Liverpool have won the same trophy six times. The two sides met in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League final, with each earning a victory – and Baresi is looking forward to watching the rivalry continue in Hong Kong. 'When you play for a great club like Milan and you travel the world, you always have a responsibility to do your best and respect the job at hand as well as to people who have come to watch,' Baresi told the Post. 'We have a historic rivalry with Liverpool so it's always an important match. Between us, we've been champions of Europe 13 times.' Franco Baresi poses for a photo outside the new Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. Photo: AC Milan Baresi, who retired in 1997, last played in Hong Kong in a pre-season tour in 1995, when, a month after losing the Champions League final to Ajax, they beat South China 2-1 in the BB Telecom Super Champions Cup.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi officially opens club's new academy in Hong Kong
AC Milan's new academy in Hong Kong was officially opened on Sunday, with a ceremony held at Kai Tak Mall. Advertisement Franco Baresi, a former captain and a three-time European Cup winner, was among the representatives from the Rossoneri present in the city. 'We are very proud to announce the launch of our new academy in Hong Kong and to share our values with the local community,' Baresi said. 'We firmly believe in football's power as a tool for education, growth, and inclusion. 'Through this academy, we aim to provide young athletes in Hong Kong with the opportunity to train according to the principles and methodology of our Milan Method. 'We are confident that this academy will become a key reference point for youth football in the region and will further strengthen the bond between our club and our fans in Hong Kong.' Advertisement The Italian side will send a coach to the city to run the academy and mentor local coaches in the city.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AC Milan Vice-President Not Jumping Ahead To Champions League Derby Vs Inter Milan: ‘One Step At A Time…'
Franco Baresi is not jumping ahead to the possibility of a Champions League derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan. The Rossoneri Vice-President spoke to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews. He stressed that his team are taking it 'one step at a time.' There is a realistic chance that Inter Milan and Milan could meet in the Champions League this season. The two city rivals already did face off in Europe's top club competition a couple years ago. They met in a semifinal tie in 2023, with Inter prevailing 3-0 on aggregate. This time around, it would be possible for the Nerazzurri and the Rossoneri to meet even earlier. In seasons past, the quarterfinals would have been the earliest that any two teams from the same league could meet in the Champions League. But with the change to the format has come a change to that aspect of the rules. Now, it is possible for two teams from one country to draw each other as the round of sixteen playoff round. Milan have avoided a playoff against Juventus. They face Feyenoord next month, whilst the Bianconeri take on PSV. However, either Milan or Juventus could face Inter Milan in the round of sixteen, should they win their respective playoff ties. In the meantime, though, Inter and Milan face off in just a couple days' time. They play in Serie A on Sunday evening. The two teams have already met twice this season – once in the league, and once in the Supercoppa Italiana final. Milan won both the previous meetings this season. They handed the Nerazzurri their only defeat in the league so far. Moreover, there is a real chance that Inter and Milan will meet in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Therefore, there could well be seven separate Milan derbies this season. But Milan Vice-President Baresi was cautious. 'Let's take it one step at a time,' he said. 'Right now the league match is on the way.' 'We just met in the Supercoppa,' he noted. 'They'll be angry about it.' 'There will be a great atmosphere on Sunday,' Baresi continued. 'We have to get past the disappointment of the Champions League.'
