Source:REUTERS/David Davies
[Saba Sports News] Franco Baresi, a legendary icon of Serie A side AC Milan, recently spoke to the media about his role as a torchbearer at the opening ceremony of the Cortina Winter Olympics, describing it as the most touching and greatest moment of his sporting career. In fact, Baresi was completely caught off guard by this honor. When the president of the Italian National Olympic Committee personally called to invite him, he was even worried about his physical condition. Having recently undergone surgery for a pulmonary nodule, he feared he might not be up to the task, yet it was precisely the suddenness of the invitation that made the honor all the more precious to him.
Baresi has always believed that the Olympic spirit remains eternal. Even as the world and the sports industry have undergone profound changes driven by money, athletes’ pure love and passion for the sport itself have never faded. And carrying the Olympic flame this time is the perfect embodiment of this enduring spirit.
To him, bringing the sacred flame back to the San Siro, the stadium that holds all his glories and triumphs, is not just a personal honor. It is a deeply heartfelt connection—one that binds him to the city of Milan, and to the very soul of Italian sports.