Yeah. I saw less of them but on what I've seen neither could match him. The ball was just an extension of his body. He basically had three balls.
Baresi would have to be in my top 5. Best reader of a game I've seen by a country mile. Likes of Beckenbauer and Moore were also great readers of the game. Obviously they don't get much credit defenders. Its funny because many players enter these discussions who played in the same team as Baresi - yet they all knew who was numero uno. If you look at AC Milan, those great years where they had absolute superstars like Maldini, Gullit, Van Basten, Albertini, Rijkaard, he still stood out a mile and ran the whole team. They all took instruction from him. When great players do as they are told like that, they become very hard to beat and you'd have to think he must have been a quality character off the pitch to command that much respect. I've read what Maldini says about him, basically saying he is the player he admired most and couldn't rate another defender above him. Maldini concedes that Maradona is the best he's played against though.
Bit young to remember Baresi but if Maldini says it then I 100% believe it. Absolutely love Maldini - no rhyme or reason bar watching Seria A as a kid but one hell of a fullback, the one I use to watch and think "I want to be like him when I grow up" - unfortunately I'm right footed and **** though. Has my faviroute quote as a player: “IF I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake.”
Struck down by the hand of God? Good riddance I say. Over-rated, over-weight and other things beginning with over... Robbed England in '86 so dead by 60. Poetic justice? No. Not really.