Like father, like son – this is one of the most commonly used phrases when ascertaining the similarity of traits between father and son. It is only natural that a person’s offspring inherits some of their abilities, it’s all in the genes after all.
In football, however, there are not many instances where a son bettered, or even replicated, his father’s antics as a player. The likes of Jordi Cruyff will always be mentioned among the players that failed to live up to their fathers’ names.
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But, there are exceptions – and here are five father-son pairings that were successful on the pitch.
#1 Paolo Maldini and Cesare Maldini
In a relatively recent interview, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that he wanted the legendary Italian footballer, Paolo Maldini, at Old Trafford. So he once asked another legendary Italian, Cesare Maldini, father of Paolo, about his son’s availability.
“My grandfather is Milan, my father is, I am Milan, my sons are Milan. Forget it."
This is the response that the legendary Scot got from Cesare. And it was a great decision from the Italians’ perspective since Paolo went on to win the Champions League five times, more than Manchester United could ever win as a team.
Cesare himself won the Champions League with the Rossoneri and wore the captain’s armband, something which his son also did whilst playing for the club.
#2 Manuel Sanchís Hontiyuelo and Manuel Sanchís Martínez
Well, for one, they share the same name, but that’s not all though – they almost earned the same accolades with Real Madrid. Both father and son were defenders, with the latter making his name in the role of a sweeper.
And even in this case, the son was more successful than his father: twice as successful, actually, as Sanchis Jr. has eight La Liga and two Champions League titles to his name, whereas his father has four La Ligas and a European Cup under his belt.
Both of them also represented Spain a combined 59 times, with son Sanchis leading the way with 48 caps.
#3 Mazinho and Thiago Alcantara
This is the only father-son pairing on this list who have represented different national teams. While Mazinho played for his mother nation, Brazil, Thiago identifies himself more with Spain and hence dons the ‘Roja’.
Despite the fact that Thiago has nowhere near the same number of accolades his father won on an international level, he has already exceeded his old man when it comes to succeeding in Europe. Mazinho was a defensive midfielder who won the World Cup in 1994 and the Copa America in 1989, which makes him a legend in his own right.
His son, Thiago, however, is not in the same bracket as of yet, despite having superseded his father’s career at club level. There is still time for a relatively young Thiago to make a name at his nation, Spain, like his father did with Brazil.
#4 Peter Schmeichel and Kasper Schmeichel
It is not often that you see a father-son goal-keeper pairing making a list like this. Actually, come to think of it: we NEVER see such a thing, unless it is the case of the Schmeichel father-son pairing.
Peter Schmeichel is a proper legend in every possible way. He not only had an illustrious career with Manchester United but also won the Euro 1992 with Denmark. It was Denmark’s only ever international trophy and Schmeichel played a big hand in helping them acquire it. He is also their most capped player of all time with 129 appearances to his name.
He also won a treble with Manchester United in 1999 and finished his club career with nine league trophies and a Champions League.
His son, Kasper, might not have reached the levels that his dad did, but his hand in Leicester’s miracle Premiership win was a huge one, which puts him on the stepping stone to greatness.
#5 Miguel Angel and Xabi Alonso
On this list, Miguel Angel, aka ‘Periko’, has to be the proudest dad ever. As a player himself, he won the La Liga three times, twice with Real Sociedad and once with Barcelona. Daddy Alonso also represented Spain 20 times.
And that’s where it ends for him.
For son Alonso, however, those numbers are too petty. With three Champions League and League titles under his belt, Xabi has engraved his name in the walls of eternity.
But that’s not all. For Spain, he won the World Cup and the Euros twice, making him one of the most successful players the sport has ever witnessed. He also has a mammoth 114 caps for Spain, making him the 6th most capped player of the nation.
