ROME — Franco Baresi, the iconic sweeper and captain who embodied AC Milan’s dominance in the 1980s and 1990s and was widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history, has died aged 66.

A one-club man throughout a 20-year career, Baresi made 719 appearances for Milan between 1977 and 1997, becoming synonymous with the club’s red-and-black colours and earning a place among the game’s all-time greats.

Baresi wore Milan’s number 6 shirt with such distinction that the club withdrew the number after his retirement.

Born in Travagliato, near Brescia, Baresi overcame personal tragedy at a young age after he and his brother Giuseppe were orphaned as teenagers.

“What I went through made me become a little withdrawn. When I was on the pitch, I gave everything and perhaps expressed all the things I couldn’t express away from football,” Baresi would later say.

While Inter Milan signed Giuseppe, Franco joined their local rivals, beginning a bond that would last a lifetime.

Former Milan coach Nils Liedholm handed him his Serie A debut as a teenager and Baresi quickly established himself as a first-team regular.

Despite a slight physique for a defender, he compensated with his exceptional technique, anticipation, tackling ability and leadership.

Those qualities earned him the captain’s armband at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest captains in Milan’s history.