Gerry Cardinale continued to show his deepening emotional attachment to AC Milan with a touching gesture on Saturday.

This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport spoke about how Cardinale departed Italy for New York after the derby win over Inter with a spring in his step, convinced that the team are not far away from battling for the Scudetto.

The paper add that Cardinale is focused on the future – strengthening the squad to win trophies, building a new stadium, the NBA project etc. – but he has not forgotten the past.

Following a dinner on Friday aimed at strengthening ties with former Milan players, the club’s owner gifted every staff member a shirt bearing the number 6, worn by the legendary Franco Baresi. Some employees even wore them immediately, underneath their official uniforms, during the derby.

The memory of the former captain remains very much alive at every home match, with his name read out by the stadium announcer following the reading of the Milan starting line-up.

Further initiatives honouring Baresi are planned for the coming months. While the mission is to return AC Milan to its rightful place, the club’s history will forever remain an integral part of its DNA.