A Rossoneri remembered - Paolo Maldini

Italy is a land of breathtaking natural beauty, a land with a great cuisine and a land that loves its football. Italians are some of the most passionate and disrespectful fans the game has ever encountered. Almost every innovation in football tactics can be traced back to Italy. Be it Catenaccio or establishing the position of a trequarista, (or the number ‘10’ position), Italy has always been at the forefront of football evolution.

The three time World Cup winners have produced numerous legends. Be it in attack, in midfield or in defense. But primarily it is their defenders who have retained a place in public memory. There have been men like Scirea, Baresi, Picci and Nesta who are forever immortalized in the annals of footballing lore, but one man stands head and shoulders above them. That man is Paolo Maldini.

Son of former Italian player and coach Ceasre Maldini, Paolo is one of the best defenders of all time. He is surely the best I have seen in action. A tall and strong defender, he was the cornerstone of Arrigo Sacchi’s revolution at AC Milan and the rock unto which managers like Fabio Capello and Carlo Ancelotti built their teams.

“You really are number one. There are great players, and world-class players and then there are those players who go beyond that. Paolo is the perfect example of all of this,” - Del Piero

A one club man throughout his career, Maldini made 902 appearances for the Rossoneri over a period of 25 years. He won everything there is to be won at a football club. He appeared in eight European Cup finals and won 5 of them. He won the Scudetto 7 times, and although he could win the Coppa Italia only once, he also has a Club World Cup and two Intercontinental Cups to his name. With such an esteemed list of honors, it is little wonder that Maldini is respected the way he is.

‘Il Capitano’ or ‘the captain’ was one of the best leaders the game has seen. He led his teams with his performance and was forever busy in organizing his defense and midfield. In Sacchi’s reign he, along with Baresi, Costacurta and Tassoti, formed one of the best defensive lines in history. Later he also formed a brilliant partnership with Nesta and Nesta himself credits the development of his game to Maldini’s influence.