The Italian media has paid tribute to former Milan midfielder Ray Wilkins, who passed away yesterday.
The 61-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday and was placed into an induced coma, but he sadly lost his life yesterday.
At the Milan derby his former teammate Franco Baresi wore his shirt and laid a wreath, and today’s papers have paid tribute to the man known as ‘Butch’.
The Italian media has paid tribute to former Milan midfielder Ray Wilkins, who passed away yesterday.
The 61-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on Friday and was placed into an induced coma, but he sadly lost his life yesterday.
At the Milan derby his former teammate Franco Baresi wore his shirt and laid a wreath, and today’s papers have paid tribute to the man known as ‘Butch’.
The Corriere della Sera describes him as “a serious and meticulous professional”, and notes he was “immediately appreciated for his long and precise passes, and his exemplary correctness”.
Meanwhile, Gazzetta dello Sport dedicates a full page to Wilkins, discussing his time with the Rossoneri.
“It was above all the Milan of [Mark] Hateley and Wilkins, heroes who came from England to wear the Rossoneri shirt,” writes Andrea Schianchi.
“Here is what Raymond Colin Wilkins, who left the pitch yesterday at the age of 61 was: a real man, sincere, pure. Also with his flaws, but with the strength not to hide them and face them openly, just as he did in midfield when he had to go into a tackle on an opponent: without malice, but with determination.”
Gazzetta then goes on to discuss his role as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea, noting that Carletto wrote in his autobiography: “without Ray we’d have won nothing”.
The newspaper finishes by talking about Wilkins’ struggles with depression and alcohol, noting “he suffered but did not bend, like a real gladiator”.