Baresi predicts great times ahead for Milan
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Article summary
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi can hardly imagine a UEFA Champions League campaign without the Rossoneri, but as they aim to win the UEFA Cup for the first time he tells uefa.com: "Milan will have a great season."
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Honours
Baresi, 48, spent his entire playing career at Milan and in 719 appearances over two decades the defender won three European Champion Clubs' Cups and six Scudettos among a host of trophies, before passing the torch to Paolo Maldini upon his retirement in 1997. Now a youth coach with Milan, Baresi is confident that last term's results were just a blip, following the signings of Ronaldinho, Gianluca Zambrotta, Philippe Senderos, Mathieu Flamini and Andriy Shevchenko.
Contenders
"Milan will certainly have a great season," Baresi told uefa.com. "It's a shame that after so many years they are out of the Champions League, but we will have this UEFA Cup experience and I think that Milan can only bring prestige to this competition. They did a great job in the transfer market, getting very important players. I think they will be contenders in Europe, even if not in the Champions League."
'Sense of belonging'
Other than a short spell as Fulham FC director of football, Baresi has been a one-club man as player and coach, and he is proud of that fact. "I believe that in a big club, it is paramount to have the attachment, the passion, the sense of belonging," Baresi explained. "When it happens, I think there is a stronger connection among the players. Even on the pitch, there is much more mutual help and the results come. Milan have always had players that were symbols, that played for the club for many, many years and that the club has always been very careful with and supported. For a player to give his best, stability is vital."
Youth development
Currently in charge of Milan's Under-19 squad, Baresi is a firm believer in clubs developing their own talent. "In the next few years, the youngsters will be of vital importance with the new UEFA rules which impose a number of players that have been part of the youth set-up," he said. "Milan have always been very attentive towards youngsters, always investing a lot. There are many boys who grew up within our youth system that are now Serie A players."
Italian bid
Milan's youngsters will not have a chance of UEFA Champions League football this year but Baresi believes that FC Internazionale Milano, AS Roma, Juventus and ACF Fiorentina can make up for last season's disappointment, when only the capital club reached the quarter-finals. "Last year, things could have been better, but I think that Italian football remains of a very high standard," he said. "Those who want to win, I think, will always have to get past the Italian teams because they are always well-organised and difficult to beat.
Inter threat
"In the Champions League, Italy will be well represented because Inter certainly aim to go very far, Roma are nowadays a threat and there is the comeback of Juventus. Italian football, and also the national team, will go back to being competitive even though we know that competition is fierce because the English and Spanish clubs are ready for the battle."