Written By STEFANO SALERNO
On May 31, 2009, at the end of Fiorentina-Milan 0-2, the final matchday of that season’s championship, Paolo Maldini bid farewell to professional football after 25 seasons and 902 matches wearing the Milan shirt. I was present at the Franchi stadium in Florence and I remember perfectly that moment and the emotion of the entire Florentine crowd. I’ll try to recount who he was and what he represented for world football, particularly Italian football, with a legendary club like Milan.
Paolo Maldini was born in Milan on June 26, 1968, the fourth child of Cesare, the historic captain of the 1963 European Champion Milan team. He had the aura of being destined for greatness from the start. He began at the age of 10 in the Milan youth system, despite being a fan of Juventus. His breakthrough came on January 20, 1985, when he was just sixteen, making his first-team debut in an away game against Udinese due to Mauro Tassotti’s absence. Maldini, initially a right-back, his natural position, played a great game under the watchful eyes of the Swedish maestro Liedholm.
Let’s delve into the technical details of who Paolo Maldini was. An ambidextrous defender, he initially played as a left-back before transitioning to a central defender. He was incredibly intelligent, skilled in tackles and aerial play, and possessed great speed and physical prowess. Technical, disciplined, and charismatic, he often anticipated opponents’ moves, not hesitating to contribute offensively (he even played as a winger as a child), frequently taking shots on goal. He was a tremendous leader, particularly notable in the central defender role during the 1994 Champions League final against Barcelona, where he and Filippo Galli formed a perfect defensive partnership.
Paolo’s career was a continuous ascent, closely linked to the extraordinary team that Milan was throughout his career. Under the management of Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, and later Carlo Ancelotti (whom he played alongside), he had extraordinary defensive partners such as Franco Baresi, who handed him the prestigious captain’s armband in 1997, as well as Filippo Galli, Costacurta, Tassotti, Nesta, Stam, and Cafu. It was with the captain’s armband that he lifted the Champions League trophy in 2003 in Manchester against Juventus, exactly 30 years after his father Cesare, a trophy he would lift again as captain in 2007 in the final against Liverpool.
Paolo Maldini was arguably the greatest Italian defender of all time and one of the best in the world. Besides defining Milan’s most successful era under Silvio Berlusconi’s ownership, he also left an indelible mark on Italian national football. In 1986, he was called up by his father Cesare to the Under-21 team, where he played for two years before his senior national team debut under Vicini at the age of 19 on March 31, 1988, against Yugoslavia. He went on to represent Italy 126 times (74 as captain), participating in 4 World Cups and ending his international career in the 2002 edition with a defeat against the hosts, South Korea.
Unfortunately, his luck with the national team didn’t match that of his club career. He experienced a penalty shootout loss in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil and a semifinal defeat in Italia ’90 against Argentina, where Italy finished third. However, this did not diminish his legendary status, recognized by the global football community, particularly by figures like Alex Ferguson, who tried to sign him for Manchester United, and Agnelli, who desired him for Juventus.
But Paolo always held the colors of Milan in his heart because the Maldini family had already left an indelible mark on the club’s history through his father Cesare, and now also through his youngest son Daniel, who has recently started his professional career (currently on loan to Monza).
Writing about this player isn’t easy because his story is so vast, filled with triumphs and significant dates. I’ll try to list the exceptional trophy collection of this champion, which truly reflects his greatness despite a few inevitable defeats (the painful loss in the 2005 Istanbul final against Liverpool).
1 Primavera Coppa Italia (1984-85), 7 Serie A titles (1987-88, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04), 5 UEFA Champions League titles (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007), 2 Intercontinental Cups (1989, 1990), 1 FIFA Club World Cup (2007), 4 UEFA Super Cups (1990, 1991, 1995, 2003), 1 Coppa Italia (2003), 3 Italian Super Cups (1992, 1993, 2004), 1 Intercontinental Cup (1987).
In his later years, he held an important role in Milan’s management, contributing to the team’s last Serie A title in 2022. But I prefer to remember him wearing his number 3 jersey, which I was fortunate enough to see on a warm day in Florence for the last time on May 31, 2009.
