The Heysel story behind Del Piero’s Baresi message: ’39 times thank you’
Following the death of football legend Franco Baresi, Alessandro Del Piero honored him by referencing a 1990 gesture where Baresi laid flowers for the 39 victims of the Heysel stadium disaster. This act of cross-club respect remains a significant moment in Italian football history.
Why it matters
It serves as a poignant reminder of how sports can transcend intense rivalries to foster human connection and collective mourning.
Amid the countless tributes to Franco Baresi following his death on Friday , one carried a message that puzzled anyone outside Italy , and moved everyone within it.
Alessandro Del Piero, Juventus 's own great captain, signed off his farewell to the Milan legend with a line that read like a private code: "39 times thank you. The Juventus fans will understand."
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport , Del Piero's words revived one of the most powerful acts of cross-club respect the Italian game has known.
"Thank you Franco for what you taught us, on and off the pitch, with your legendary career. A club icon is forever," the former Juve forward wrote, before adding the coda that binds two great rivals together in grief.
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