Baresi insists he never made a mistake and explains changing role of modern defenders

Franco Baresi has done another interview as part of the tour to promote his new book, and he shed light on more aspects of his career at AC Milan.

Baresi is rightly regarded as one of the best central defenders of all time and he spent his entire 20-year career with Milan, captaining the side for 15 of them before passing the armband to Paolo Maldini.

He won three UEFA Champions League titles, six Serie A titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, two European Super Cups and two International Cups with the Rossoneri, as well as a World Cup with Italy.

As the honorary vice-president of Milan and the first Hall of Fame inductee, Baresi has just launched his second book titled ‘Ancora in gioco. Il viaggio interiore del Capitano’ all about his tales from playing in such an iconic era.

Baresi gave an interview to The Times about some of his memories at Milan including those that he played with and against, but he also commented on he way that the role of a centre-back is changing.

What is the most important thing about being a defender?

“I played with some extraordinary players. The brain is the most important skill of all. You have to have everything to be a modern defender, because the reality is there are several elements now.

“There is the physical skill and then the technical skill, because teams in modern football, they build their game from the defenders, so it’s essential to be technically perfect and physically strong, but the most important skill of all is to be intelligent. You have to have a brain as well.”