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We at Sportskeeda.com are compiling a series of the Ten Most Influential Captains of the Modern Era. We begin our series with Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini. Enjoy!
MILAN, ITALY – MAY 24: AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini acknowledges the applause of the fans during his last match between AC Milan and AS Roma on May 24, 2009 in Milan, Italy.
One does not expect one of the best defenders (if not the best) of his era to commit a tackle just once every two games. But Paolo Maldini didn’t need to make more than one tackle a game because he positioned himself so well. He is arguably the greatest player in the modern era to don the black and red of AC Milan.
Paolo Cesare Maldini, born 26 June 1968, will go down in the history of the beautiful game as one who belongs to a dying generation of one-club men. Following in the footsteps of his father Cesare, who was another Milanese legend in his own right, Paolo spent all 25 years of his professional club career playing for the Rossoneri.
After spending seven years honing his skills at the Lombardy club’s Youth Academy, Maldini would make his début as a 16-year-old on 20 January 1985, replacing the injured Sergio Battistini. It was to be his only appearance of the 1984-85 season, but it would be the foundation stone of a long and illustrious career at the San Siro. The very next year, he was an automatic choice in Milan’s Starting XI. Only two years later, Maldini would win his first trophy: the 1987-88 Scudetto was to be the first of seven league titles he would win.
As the eighties gave way to the nineties, Maldini was part of the Milanese defensive quartet that was as watertight as it was lethal. Alongside Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti, this defence was considered to be one of the most formidable of its era. Their ability was rewarded in the form of another Scudetto in 1992. This Grande Milano side was coached by renowned coach Fabio Capello, and went through the 1991-92 season unbeaten.
Throughout the nineties, as personnel changed both on and off the pitch, Maldini remained a constant fixture and one of the first names on the Rossonero team sheet. When fit, he was always called upon to represent his beloved hometown side, whether the man in charge was Arrigo Sachi, Oscar Tabarez, Alberto Zaccheroni, Carlo Ancelotti or his father Cesare, all of whom managed the Club during his time there.
“Although he has never taken my breath away, Kaka has impressed, Zinedine Zidane was brilliant but without a doubt, Paolo Maldini has been my favourite.
“He has a wonderful presence, competitive spirit, athleticism, and although not the world’s greatest technically, he has influenced all the Milan teams during his wonderfully successful era.”
- Sir Alex Ferguson
We’re talking about a man here who’s won five European Cups (1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 2002–03, 2006–07), seven Serie A titles ( 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04), five Supercopa Italia, one Italian Cup, five Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one Club World Cup.
FIRENZE, ITALY – MAY 31: Paolo Maldini of Milan (R) acknowledges fans prior to the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Milan at the Stadio Franchi on May 31, 2009 in Firenze, Italy. He retires after serving 24 years with the club.
Most teams centre around strikers or midfielders, but once Maldini had made himself a permanent name on the Milan roster, it was clear he was the team’s heartbeat. He inspired everybody with his style of play, his dedication to the game and his commitment to Milan. Offers came from abroad. He rejected them all. Massive sums of money were promised in order to lure him away from the North of Italy. He rejected them all. Transfer fees which bordered on the ludicrously decadent (this was a time before the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain) were dangled in front of his employers and him.
He rejected them all.
“Maldini is the symbol of Milan. He brings continuity and he has represented the antique and the modern,”
- Gianni Rivera
Surely, the greatest memories of his life will always be at Milan? On the 25th of September 2005, he broke goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff’s record of 571 Serie A appearances when his team played against Treviso away from home. A few days earlier, he had made his 800th appearance in all competitions for the Italian giants. Nearly a year later, on 16 February 2008, he broke yet another record when he reached his one thousandth (yes, thousand with three zeroes) senior appearance with Milan and the Italy national football team when he came on as a substitute against Parma.
But arguably, his greatest memory in a Milan shirt would be on the 23rd of May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens against Liverpool.
Two years before that, in 2005, Maldini led Milan out to the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul against a Liverpool side managed by coach Rafael Benitez. Maldini opened the scoring just 51 seconds after the match had kicked off, becoming the oldest player to score in a Champions League final by doing so. Hernan Crespo’s first-half brace saw Milan go into half time with a commanding 3-0 lead, and the match seemed to be over even before it had begun.
But Milan’s hard work was undone in six dramatic second-half minutes when Liverpool mounted a seemingly impossible comeback to re-establish the status quo with Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Vladimir Smicer dragging the English side level. Liverpool would go on to win on penalties, a game Maldini labelled the worst in his career.
But he would earn revenge in 2007, when Filippo Inzaghi’s brace in either half gave completed Milan’s circle of life, which would turn out to be Maldini’s fifth and last Champions League medal.
The aura of Maldini, though, has attracted players when Milan have needed them most. David Beckham chose to spend his MLS off-season period in Italy because:
“The greatest thing about this experience has been taking part in Maldini’s career. He is a great player, a great captain and a great man”
- David Beckham
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 31: David Beckham (L) of AC Milan speaks with team captain Paolo Maldini during a team training session on December 31, 2008 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Maldini had initially chosen to retire in 2008, but postponed that when he saw Milan weren’t ready for life after him when Arsenal beat them 2-0 at the San Siro. He instead decided to hang up his boots in 2009. His last game at the San Siro was against Roma on 24 May.
On the 31st of May 2009, forty seven thousand people rose to applaud in unison at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence as Maldini led Milan out for his final game in charge of the Club. They would repeat the same ninety minutes and two Milan goals later as the great man went off the pitch, aged forty and having played more than a thousand times for Club and country.
“I was upset for Paolo, especially in 1994 also with Baggio and Baresi, as they went so close to winning the World Cup. Maldini came so close to it.”
- Dejan Savicevic
But his career with Italy was not as glorious as his time with Milan. Having been included in a whopping seven Italian squads, Maldini would come within an inch of success in 1994, but Roberto Baggio’s missed spot kick denied him a deserved World Cup medal. He would come close once again in 2000, but old enemies France would deny him a European Championship.
DAEJEON – JUNE 18: Paolo Maldini of Italy tackles Jung Hwan Ahn of South Korea during the FIFA World Cup Finals 2002 Second Round match played at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, in Daejeon, South Korea on June 18, 2002. South Korea won the match 2-1 with a Golden Goal in extra-time
He retired after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which from an Italian perspective is remembered for all the wrong reasons. A testimonial still awaits Maldini, who says he wants his swansong to be in an official Italy game.
Milan have retired the number three shirt in his honour, and only two people can claim the right to wear it. Should his sons play for Milan in the future, that shirt would rightfully be theirs.
Like father, like son?
Catch the rest of this series here: The 10 most influential captains of the modern era
