Who was Franco Baresi’s wife Maura Lari and how many children do the couple have?

ONE of football’s best defenders of all time, Franco Baresi, has sadly passed away, aged 66. Throughout his highly decorated career he established himself as a legend of both AC Milan and the Italian national team. But who was his wife Maura Lari? AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi has passed away aged 66 Credit: Getty He is survived through his wife, Maura Lari – but who is she? Credit: AFP Who was Franco Baresi? Franco Baresi enjoyed a magnificent career as one of his country’s greatest ever footballers. He spent 20-years at boyhood club AC Milan between 1977 and 1997, captaining the side for 75 per cent of that time. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Across his stay at the Rossoneri he made 716 appearances – linking up with Paolo Maldini to make up arguably the best centre-back partnership of all time. The Italian lifted six Serie A titles and three Champions Leagues at the San Siro, which inspired AC Milan to retire his classic No 6 shirt. Read More on Franco Baresi Baresi won six Serie A titles and three Champions Leagues at the San Siro Credit: Reuters AC Milan decided to retire his iconic number 6 shirt after his retirement Credit: Reuters Two years after he hung up his boots, he was voted Milan’s Player of the Century. For his national team, he was a part of the squad that won Italy their first World Cup title in 44 years when they lifted the trophy in 1982. Eight-years later at the 1990 World Cup he was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team, while leading his nation to third place in the tournament on home soil. And at the subsequent World Cup in the US, he was Italy’s captain as they made the final, only losing out on the trophy to Brazil on penalties – with the defender unfortunately being among those to miss their spot kick. Most read in Sport Baresi was a part of the Italy squad that lifted the World Cup trophy in 1982 Credit: Getty Images He earned 81 caps for his nation Credit: Reuters The Azzurri legend underwent lung surgery last year after being diagnosed with a pulmonary nodulation. And the iconic centre-back’s death was confirmed by his boyhood club on July 31. Who was Franco Baresi’s wife Maura Lari? Maura Lari married footballing legend Franco Baresi on September 10, 1984. In 2022, Baresi revealed how he met the love of his life as he said: “Maura served at the tables of the Piccolo Alleluja restaurant in Montevarchi. “She was the owner’s daughter. The Milan masseur, Paolo Mariconti, noticed that I was staring raptly at that beautiful blonde girl. And then he shot me and said, ‘Miss, please serve him first, because he’s the captain’. “I blushed. But since then, Maura and I have never left each other and every year we celebrate the day we got married.” Together, the couple had two children, Edoardo, 35, and Gianandrea, 31, with the latter being adopted by Baresi and Maura after being born in Russia. Comment now