FRANCO BARESI

FRANCO BARESI

9. FRANCO BARESI Italy

Baresi was the keystone of an Italian defence that went into the tournament having conceded only one goal in their previous nine games, and maintained their form through the early stages.
The calm distributor in a back line that also included Giuseppe Bergomi, Paolo Maldini and Riccardo Ferri, Baresi’s unflustered reading of the game helped bring clean sheets against Austria, USA, Czechoslovakia, Uruguay and the Republic of Ireland.
When they finally conceded a goal, following a misjudgement by Walter Zenga in the semi-final, it proved terminal, as Italy lost to Argentina on penalties, despite Baresi coolly despatching the first kick of the shoot-out.