He was supposed to retire at the end of the current season, but it looks like he’s decided there is still plenty of time to think about hanging his boots. The Milan captain has discovered the elixir of life, which can be summarized in only one sweet and merry word: victory…
In Italy to be the offspring of a famous person, being it a journalist or a physician or a professor, means very often that you can have an easy life, following the path already set by your parent.
I’m obviously grossly generalizing, but it’s not that uncommon that the son of a law professor begins a career at university or the daughter on an actress starts performing as well.
Unfortunately some of the lucky children get the job mainly because of their illustrious parents, not for their own merits, but it’s not always like that.
Paolo Maldini is one of those exceptions, as he started playing football just because he liked it and he had a good potential – to say the least...
His father Cesare Maldini, who went on to Coach the Azzurri, was a key player in Nereo Rocco’s rock-like defence back in the sixties.
He won only a European Cup, in 1963, when a double by Brazilian striker Josè Altafini, now a well known commentator for Italian Sky, did the trick and Milan defeated Eusebio’s mighty Benfica at the Old Wembley Stadium – the one with the towers, not the Blairian arch...
Maldini junior has got a far better record in the European competitions, having won five European Cup – or Champions League, I should say… But honestly, and we’re sure Cesarone will not mind, it’s not only a question of trophies. It’s a question of qualities.
Paolo is more talented than his father, who trained him in the unlucky – for Italy – France 1998 World Cup. He’s got a better technique, a good ability at scoring goals and he’s faster paced.
He’s also more of a marathon man than his daddy who retired when he was 35, and more versatile, as he can play wing-back and centre-back.
Maldini senior could perform as a full back and that was it. In fact Paolo has set the all time record for Serie A, playing the incredible amount of 600 games, to which he added 28 goals.
In his career he’s only performed for Milan, while Cesare started in his home town with Triestina and finished wearing a Granata shirt in Turin.
Having spent 23 seasons in the same club, Maldini is definitely a rare bird in the world of sports, especially now, in the “corporate football era†where players are promiscuous and clubs seen with a less passionate feeling of belonging with millions in play.
Before leaving the national team, in the aftermath of another national tragedy, the Korea defeat in 2002, he collected 126 caps (another all time record for Italy), hitting the back of the net seven times.
Those figures speak for themselves, even though we could go on mentioning a few more records (eight Champions League finals, 74 appearances for Italy wearing the captain arm band, seven Scudetti, etc.).
His Serie A debut took place in a cold January afternoon, in Udine and the Milan Coach at that time, former fifties Swedish star Nils Liedholm, had no doubt: Maldini was glory bound.
It was 1985 and Maldini was only 16 – he’s turning 39 next June – but you could actually tell he was more than a good prospect.
What at that time Liddas – as Liedholm, now a much respected wine maker, is nicknamed – didn’t know was that AC Milan were also destined to shine in Italy and Europe like no other club would do.
The following two decades were going to be the most successful of the Rossoneri history. Paolino Maldini was there, playing in the back with the likes of Baresi and Stam, Tassotti and Costacurta, Nesta and Panucci.
He was, actually he still is, a living advert for our sport. His tackles raised to a legendary status, his quick runs on the left side of the pitch are simply memorable, while his fair play has a few equals in the rest of the world.
Unfortunately he shares the same destiny of other former Milan team mates, like Massaro, Donadoni, Baresi, Albertini and a few more: he’s never won a World Cup.
He lost a final on penalties in 1994, when he had to comfort Baresi, who had missed from the penalty spot and was crying like a baby.
To be precise he was also defeated by France in the Euro 2000 last act, but that doesn’t hurt as much as the World Cup failures.
One more stain on the nearly immaculate career of Maldini could be the absence of his name on the list of the Ballon d’or winners.
But I don’t think that’s too important, firstly because in Italy that trophy is a bit overrated and secondly because Maldini’s name is well present in the history of football anyway, with or without a Ballon d’or making a fine show on his bookshelf.
Maybe some of the sweetest words on Maldini marvellous career were uttered a few days ago by Materazzi, a symbol of his cross town rivals.
“It’s a pity Paolo, the best defender in the last two decades, hasn’t won the World Cup. I’m really sorry for him. I actually managed to lift that cup and he didn’t, it’s incredibleâ€.
Maldini is not the only superstar without a World Cup success. That club has got a few illustrious members, like Best, Di Stefano and Cruijff, just to name a few.
But you cannot achieve everything in your life, can you? At least he can put a tape on and watch a European Cup final. He has plenty of tapes to choose from and a new one as well.
It says 2007, V for Vendetta, V for victory…and who would argue that the veteran has earned a place not just in the hearts of Rossoneri or Azzurri fans, but in true football fans' hearts wherever they live…forever.
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