Happy Birthday Paolo! - The Living Legend!! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I was peeking at the Zebra website today (Giovinco is returning and Chiellini renewed his contract) and came across this quote from a press conference Giorgio Chiellini gave today:

«So che oggi è il 40° compleanno di Maldini. E’ sempre il migliore e la dimostrazione sta nel fatto che a questa età ancora è in campo. Ha una classe e un’eleganza che io non potrò mai avere. Per quelli della mia generazione è sempre stato un esempio».

"I know that today is Maldini's 40th birthday. He's always the best and the demonstration of that fact is that he's still playing at his age. He has a class and an elegance that I could never have. For those of my generation, he's always been an example."

Nice words from the juventino. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/96.gif)

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

Man, my F internet connection...


Happy birthday, old man. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

That's cause you said old man...

... he knew you would!

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Lol, dst. Give the man a break. He meant "old man" as in experienced and knowledgeable. Then again, Maldini was never a man to begin with.

Does anyone have high quality pictures of Paolo? I need as many as I can. The rarer the better too. Please PM me if you have any, I need them for a project.

THE HARD CORE7/10/2008 4:18:00 PM
The season about to begin on Wednesday will be the twenty-fifth in the first team for Captain Maldini. For Kaká it will be the sixth. Between them, ten other important champions of loyalty.

MILAN - Loyalty and experience in double figures for Milan. Among the Rossoneri, less than a week away from the Reunion which will open the 2008-09 season, there are no less than twelve players who have played at least five seasons with Milan.

A patrimony of belonging and condivision which is the principal characteristic of Milan and which is the best guarantee to welcome the new arrivals who prepare to face the new season. These are values and relationships which will have their weight also in the coming season.

Here's a picture of the loyalty at Milan:

Paolo Maldini: The 2008-09 season is the 25th in Milan's first team
Massimo Ambrosini: 2008-09, 13th season with Milan
Rino Gattuso: 2008-09, 10th season with Milan
Kakha Kaladze: 2008-09, 9th season with Milan
Christian Abbiati: 2008-09, 8th season with Milan
Nelson Dida: 2008-09, 8th season with Milan
Filippo Inzaghi: 2008-09, 8th season with Milan
Andrea Pirlo: 2008-09, 8th season with Milan
Cristian Brocchi: 2008-09, 7th season with Milan
Sandro Nesta: 2008-09, 7th season with Milan
Clarence Seedorf: 2008-09, 7th season with Milan
Ricardo Kakà: 2008-09, 6th season with Milan

Not to mention Carlo Ancelotti. The Milan coach guides the team since 5 November 2001, and for him next season will be the 8th with Milan, after the 5 seasons as player during which he won everything: in Italy, in Europe, and of course in the World.

(from acmilan.com) link

Twenty-five years. A quarter of a century. It really boggles the mind.

Paolo Maldini has been playing for Milan's first team for longer than...many (most?) board members here have been alive.

Forza Il Capitano! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/96.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/96.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/96.gif)

That's impressive from all of them, particularly Paolo of course!

This is class (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

When these players enter the field of play .. Almost all opponents bow their heads down! The team that has won everything there is to win!

Forza Milan (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/devil.gif)

Maradona Best Ever, Ronaldo Close Second - Maldini

Maradona is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, following his amazing exploits for Napoli and Argentina during the 1980s and early 90s.

Ronaldo meanwhile was seen by many as the best in the world during the late 1990s, and like Maradona he also blessed Italian football, first with Inter from 1997 to 2002, and then with Milan from 2007 until his contract expired at the beginning of this month.

"Maradona is the best opponent I've ever played against in my career,” Maldini told Il Giornale.

“However Ronaldo, when he was at Inter, was very close to him. He was devastating.”

Maldini further praised his former team-mate, by stating that his arrival at Milan in January 2007 played a big role in their Champions League triumph at the end of that season, despite the fact that the Brazilian was cup-tied for the competition.

"When he arrived he gave us an incredible lift, just as Ronaldinho has done now.

“We won the Champions League thanks to him. He did not play, but we arrived in Athens exploiting the emotional wave of his signing." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cry.gif)

Milan defeated Liverpool in the final 2-1, with Pippo Inzaghi scoring both of the Rossoneri’s goals.


goal.com

Maldini to ilGiornale : "Van Basten is the strongest, Baresi is the most complete."


(IMG:http://site.acmilanclub.com/newsimages/10002/maldini.jpg)




The magazine ilGiornale gave an interview with Legend Paolo Maldini on the occasion of his 30 years since joining Milan AC and he is currently 40 years of age.


Q. My dear Paolo, thirty years of playing for Milan, how did it all start ?

Paolo: "Lucky strike, I got the chance to play at the athletic complex, and outside. Also the athletic clothes that my dad gave me, and since then this game became my job, even if I am not as agile, as some claim.


Q. What was the lucky strike ?

Paolo: "Signing up for the primavera, which helped me grow and take the first steps into the team, which was getting ready for the UEFA cup. And that was the best place to learn, then came Silvio Berlusconi, and he changed life as we know it after that."


Q. Through Milan, over the last thirty years, who were the best players that you had seen ?

Paolo: "During this time, I have been asked a lot about this. Marco Van Basten is the strongest for sure, and the most complete player was Baresi, and with them I can not forget Kaka', Shevchenko, Gullit and Weah."


Q. And about the coaches ?

Paolo: "Liedholm was the crucial coach from my point of view, he choose me from the rest of talented youth at the time and put me into the first team for the first time, and I couldn't take the pressure at the time. He was the one who built the giant Milan, then Sacchi inherited Milan from him, and with the Swede there are three coaches during the reign of Berlusconi: Sacchi, Capello, and Ancelotti."


Q. And who were the best opponents that you came up against ?

Paolo: "The best, of course, was Diego Maradona, and then there is inter's Ronaldo whom I have not since seen a player with him technical and physical abilities, and before those two I was crazy about Platini and Rouminige."


Q. What is the sentence that is written on the front gate of Milanello ?

Paolo: "Born to win, that is our slogan, it was in bedded into the DNA of this club ever since the 60s, we Milan have won a lot, but we also know how sour defeat is, and some of it was horrendous as was Istanbul. But one thing is certain, we always come back after a defeat!"


Q. For several days, we have witnessed what is being called the Ronaldinho tornado in Milan, did you expect him ?

Paolo: "Of course, and for a simple reason, in general when I watch football there is a certain love you feel for Ronaldinho, I see that everyday with my kids as they sit in front of the TV and studying the skills and dribbling of Christiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and then they try to copy them in their games."


Q. Maradona's arrival, was it a cause for jealousy from AC Milan ?

Paolo: "Even if it was, you have to understand first the joy that I feel for the arrival of Ronaldinho to Milan, and my team mates share the same feeling, then and only then will you understand what happened in the arrival of Ronaldinho. And why all this motivation ? He is a gain for all of us, for the team, the club, the Italian Championship in general, and this had happened in the past."


Q. When ?

Paolo: "When Ronaldo arrived, I know that it was a sad and hurting ending, but he gave us a big push, he gave the team the chance to rest in the league by scoring goals and helping us get the 4th place, while the team concentrated on the Champions League."


Q. It is said that Ronaldinho will face problems with Kaka' on the playing field, and with Seedorf about the shirt number ..

Paolo: "Problems are solved, in a working environment like Milan, there is a lot of room for talk and discussions to reach a common ground. Especially when you work together."


Q. The critics claim that: Milan is stronger in attack, but the defense ..

Paolo: "This type of talk is speculated upon, and it has been repeated for several years now, ever since Capello's second season at Milan, but I am still here. The defense is good, it is a mix of young and experience, and above all the courage."


Q. Did you expect Donadoni to leave and Lippi to take his place ?

Paolo: "No, I was shocked, I say this without even speaking to the parties that know the detailed events. Donadoni came after the Berlin triumph, then after loosing to Holland, like what happened in 92 when we lost the European Championship, but after the loss we qualified against France. But for the bad luck, we faced Spain, in my opinion there was a lot of trust in Donadoni, but the decision was to bring Lippi back to the Nationale."


Q. What is your opinion of Mourinho ?

Paolo: "Now I like him, his arrival to Italia stole the spotlight, even before he commented to the media, and now we have to watch him, he said that he will make the fans forget what Mancini accomplished and that is what made me feel sorry over it."


Q. Do you agree with Galliani: Milan was abused by others, is that an alibi or a reality ?

Paolo: "Both are correct, Milan after two seasons of Calciopoli won it's 7th Champions League title, it is not true that we can't compete and win the title, and we will show that starting August the 31st."


Q. Blatter compares Christiano Ronaldo and his brother as slaves, is that true ?

Paolo: "No, Slaves are less fortunate than Christiano Ronaldo, because they can't choose their own destiny. And they need to wait for others to decide for them."


Q. Endurance drugs in biking, isn't that a defeat ?

Paolo: "I read about that in depth, it seems that biking cant come back strong without endurance drugs, in the story there is a positive side: the race has commenced with suspending those that have been using."


Q. In biking there are regulations and control on drugs, it is said that football is not the same

Paolo: "Isn't that usual in team sports, because taking those drugs makes things more complex, and then there are the sudden tests that are done by both the UEFA and the FIGC."


Q. Ronaldinho to Beijing, what is your take on players not going to the Olympics by the club ?

Paolo: "The wall that divides professional football and the national teams had fallen a long time ago, if the matter was up to me, I would have ristricted the competition to players only under 23 years of age."


Q. My dear Paolo, you said that you will change the world and just a couple of months ago there was the crisis in front of Napoli, so what was your reasons ?

Paolo: "On vacation with my family to the Bahamas I was asked a lot about the Italian Championship and football, and to who is still chastising about the Napoli match I say this 'it was a phrase' about two teams with strong motivation from both sides, and we went there to play and not for vacation."


Q. And now ?

Paolo: "I am happy for what happened, we have proved to the world that when we want to we can do things in a good way, by putting the most into determination and will, that seemed all but fanatasy in the last three months but with Berlusconi we have done it over and over again."


Q. There are still people who get shocked when they hear that Paolo is still playing at 40 years of age

Paolo: "This is a part of my DNA, my father played until he was 37, and at the time that was a record."


Q. Lately Scolari asked Shevchenko, will Maldini continue ?

Paolo: "The answer is natural, it is out of love, you can say love for football, of course."

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) Did I confuse things or did ilGiornale?

It's probably the lame translation!!

Just kidding! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Thanks for the effort R7!

http://maldini.iobloggo.com/
This is for people like Tennie, -who undoubtedly has seen these pics already; and dst, who will be dead by now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)