Paolo Maldini

At 56 years old, Paolo Maldini has this physical status:

Club career

Maldini, who was born in Milan, went on to spend his entire club career with the senior team. He won the Coppa Italia Primavera during the 1984–85 season, and he made his Milan debut under new Milan manager Nils Liedholm in 1985, replacing the injured Sergio Battistini in a match against Udinese at age 16. It was his first appearance in the league, but he was immediately promoted to the starting eleven the following season, at age 17, when he had been given the number 3 shirt, which had previously belonged to his father, Cesare. Due to his ability with his left foot, he was later moved to his more prominent position of left-back. Maldini made his Coppa Italia debut in 1985 on August 21th, 1985, while his debut in European competition came later this year on September 18th. In a 1–0 victory over Como on January 4, 1987, he scored his first of his 29 goals in Serie A.

The 1987–88 Scudetto under Arrigo Sacchi won Maldini's first trophy and the first of seven league titles with the club. Sacchi's Milan squad is known for its strong defensive lineup, including Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Josef Gullit, and Marco van Basten, as well as Italian midfielder Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Donadoni (and later Demetrio Albertini). Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti, Mauro Tassotti, Mauro Tassotti, Filippo Galli, Stefano Nava, and later Christian Panucci, one of football's finest defensive quartets of all time, joined Sacchi and Fabio Capello, as well as Filippo Baresi, Stefano Nava, and later Christian Panucci. Milan only conceded 14 goals during the 1987-88 Serie A season, finishing with the best defense in Italy, as they went on to win the Serie A title. Following Baresi's departure, he formed a fruitful and fruitful partnership with Alessandro Nesta. Maldini won the 1988 Supercoppa Italiana with Milan in the following season, and the following seasons saw the city regained its European Cup titles in 1988-1989 and 1990–90, while Milan finished third and second in Serie A. Maldini made his 100th appearance in Serie A on February 19, 1989.

Milan reached the final of the 1989-1990 Coppa Italia, losing out to Juventus. Milan also won successive European Super Cup titles in 1989 and 1990, as well as successive Intercontinental Cup titles, both 1989 and 1990. Milan was disqualified in the quarter-finals of the European Cup by eventual winners Marseille and finished second, behind Sampdoria, who conceded only 19 goals. Milan reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals, losing out to eventual champions Roma. Maldini was named as Europe's top under-23 player in 1989.

Fabio Capello, Milan's replacement, remained a key player in Italy and Europe under Sacchi's leadership. Maldini was also a member of Milan's undefeated Serie A team, which also won the championship in 1991–92; in total, Milan won 58 league matches, earning the nickname "The Invincibles" in Milan. This was Milan's first of three straight Serie A titles under Capello's Capello in the 1990s. Maldini was a host in Milan's Serie A crown and reached the first of three consecutive UEFA Champions League finals. Milan lost the 1993 Champions League final by a 1–0 victory over Marseille. Maldini scored his first goal in European Competitions on October 21, 1992, beating Slovan Bratislava 11-0, and made his 200th appearance in Serie A on October 4th. Milan claimed their third straight Serie A title and had Italy's highest defense, losing only 15 goals. Maldini was also a leader in Milan's second straight Champions League final, where he was assisting his team in beating Barcelona. Franco Baresi, Jean-Pierre Papin, and Marco van Basten, Barcelona's "Dream Team," coached by Johan Cruyff, was a strong favorite to win the trophy due to Alessandro Costacurta's suspension and bruises, including Roma Baresi, Jean-Pierre Papin, and Marco van Basten's formidable attacking pair of Romário and Hristo Stoichkov. Maldini, despite their key absences, helped the Milan defence keep a clean sheet and beat Barcelona 4–0 in the final, with two goals from Daniele Massaro and one each from Dejan Savievi and Marcel Desailly.

Maldini won his third Champions League title and advanced to the 1994 World Cup final, becoming the first defender to win the annual World Player of the Year award. Maldini's acceptance address referred to his accomplishment as "more a matter of pride" since defenders get so much less attention from followers and the media than goalcorers. We're more in the engine room than taking the spotlight. "Really [deserved] to receive the kind of honor I've received," Milan captain Franco Baresi said. Maldini also placed third in the 1994 Ballon d'Or, behind Stoichkov and compatriot Roberto Baggio, and fifth in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

Milan and Maldini won the European Super Cup for the third time under Capello and lifted the European Super Cup for the third time in a row, but they were sadly out of contention for the Intercontinental Cup. Milan was unable to hold their Serie A crown after three straight titles, but they did win their third straight Champions League final, defeating Ajax 1–0. In the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year Award, Maldini came second, second behind future teammate George Weah, for his efforts. Maldini made his 300th appearance in Serie A on February 17, 1995, and his fourth under Capello.

Milan saw disappointing results during the next two seasons after Capello's departure, as well as the aging and retirement of several key players. Milan lost the Supercoppa Italiana to Fiorentina in 1996 and then failed to qualify for European competitions for two seasons, as well as losing a group stage elimination in the 1996–97 Champions League. Maldini was named Milan's captain following Franco Baresi's and Mauro Tassotti's resignation after the 1996-1997 season. Milan made it to the Coppa Italia final in 1998, losing to Lazio, and winning the 1998–99 Serie A crown under Alberto Zaccheroni, despite the challenges during this period. On April 25, 1999, he made his 400th appearance in Serie A. Milan lost the Supercoppa Italiana against Parma in 1999-2000 and ended third in Serie A and placed third in last season's Champions League group. Milan was disqualified from the second round of the Champions League last season and finished in sixth place in Serie A, failing to qualify for the Champions League and the UEFA Cup the following season.

Under Carlo Ancelotti's leadership, Milan soared as a key player in Italy and Europe. Milan finished in fourth place in the UEFA Cup in 2001-2002, qualifying for the Champions League, and also finished in the semi-finals. Maldini was given the Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea" in 2002 for his work and appearance. Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Alessandro Costacurta and Cafu, who team up with Jaap Stam during the 2004-05 season, formed a strong defensive lineup in Italy and Europe. Milan came third in Serie A, but Maldini lifted the first Coppa Italia of his career by defeating Roma in the final. He made his 500th appearance in Serie A on March 15, 2003.

Milan defeated Maldini for the first time in his career in the first all-Italian final against Juventus on May 28 at Old Trafford on May 28, 2003. Milan kept a clean sheet after losing 3–2 on penalties after extra time. It was also in England that his father, Cesare, lifted the European Cup trophy as Milan's captain on that day. He and his father are the only two other father-son pairs to have done so; Manuel and Manolo Sanch of Real Madrid, and Carles and Sergio Busquets of Barcelona are among three other father-son pairs to have done so. For the first time in his career, Maldini was named in the UEFA Team of the Year.

Milan was defeated by Juventus on penalties in the Supercoppa Italiana, and by Boca Juniors in the Intercontinental Cup final, but the team won yet another UEFA Super Cup. For the second time in his career, Maldini came third in the 2003 Ballon d'Or. Maldini went on to captain Milan to win the Serie A competition this season with a record 82 points, while Milan was disqualified from the Coppa Italia semi-finals and by Deportivo de La Corua in the Champions League quarters. Maldini placed tenth on the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, an online UEFA survey that was held to honor the best European footballers of the past 50 years. After Dino Zoff, Maldini was the second-highest placed Italian after his second. In 2004, Maldini was also included in the FIFA 100 list, which was also a list of the 125 best living footballers chosen by Pelé. Maldini was named Serie A Defender of the Year in 2004 at the Italian Football Awards, following his series A-winning performances.

After Milan beat Lazio, Maldini launched the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana as the captain. Milan finished second in Serie A to Juventus this season and advanced to the Champions League final, only to lose out on penalties to Liverpool, although Maldini opened the scoring in the first minute. For the second time in his career, Maldini was selected to be a member of the FIFPro World XI, and he was also elected to be a member of the UEFA Team of the Year in 2005. Milan came second second second behind Juventus in Serie A last season and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, only to be defeated by eventual champions Barcelona. Both Juventus and Milan were later disqualified points for being involved in the 2006 "Calciopoli" matchfixing fiasco, and Internazionale was recalled, while Juventus were relegated, with Milan finishing third after the point deduction. Maldini earned his first and only double double of his career against Reggina earlier this season. Maldini won his 571st league match against Treviso on September 25th; seven days before, he had played his 800th game in all competitions for Milan.

Despite a point deduction, Maldini helped captain Milan to a fourth-place finish last season, allowing them to win a crucial Champions League qualifying position. Maldini played in his 600th Serie A match on May 13 in Catania, a 1–1 draw. Maldini captained Milan to their third Champions League final in six years last season, winning 2–1 over Liverpool in the final on May 23, 2007, avenging their humiliatation from 2005. Maldini, the 38th captain of the Champions League, became the country's oldest captain to lift the Champions League trophy. During his career, Maldini reached eight Champions League finals, equaling only Francisco Gento of Real Madrid; Maldini lifted the trophy five times, twice as captain. Maldini called the 2005 Champions League final his worst moment in his career in an interview with ESPN that aired prior to the 2007 final. Milan lost on penalties to Liverpool after leading 3–0 at halftime in a game where he scored the fastest-ever goal in a European Cup final after 51 seconds and became the oldest player to score in a final. For his 2007 appearances, Maldini was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year.

Maldini, the first European captain to lift the FIFA Club World Cup after Milan defeated Sevilla on December 16th, beating Boca Juniors. He revealed that he expects to leave at the end of the 2007–08 season, saying he would do so with "no regrets." Following Milan's exit from the Champions League by Arsenal in March, Maldini confirmed that he could postpone his retirement for at least a year. He signed a new deal on June 6th, extending his stay at Milan for the 2008-2009 season.

Maldini's the Stadium of Ennio Tardini's on February 16, 2008, on his 1,000th professional appearance, including 861 with Milan, 12 with the Italy under-21 team, 1 with the Italian Olympic team, and 126 with the Italy senior team. Only English goalkeeper Peter Shilton had more appearances in European football: 1,390 between 1966 and 1997. Maldini played his last game in the Champions League on March 4, 2008, a 2–0 loss at the San Siro in the last 16 against Arsenal, who barred Milan from the 2007-08 Champions League. Maldini was awarded the FIFA Order of Merit as well as the Premio Internazionale Facchetti, which is given to a player who had demonstrated both skill and fair play throughout his career.

Maldini revealed on April 18th, 2009, that he would retire at the end of the 2008–09 season. Maldini played his 900th official match for Milan in a league match against Udinese on May 17, 2009 in the Stadio Friuli. Maldini's last game in San Siro was a 3–2 loss to Roma on May 24, and the fans paid tribute. Brigate Rossonere, a Milan Ultras fan, threw out a small controversy as he said goodbye to Maldini. Milan's last game as an active participant, as well as his last game as an active participant, was a 2–0 victory over Fiorentina on May 31 in the last match of the Serie A season. Milan finished in third place and qualified for the Champions League next season. The supporters erupted Maldini once more. Milan discarded Maldini's number 3 shirt, but said it would be bequeathed to one of his sons if one of them were to join the club's senior team as they had previously done with Franco Baresi's number 6 shirt.

During the lottery for the group stage of the 2009–10 Champions League, Abel Medalist Joe Maldini was awarded a prize for his exploits during his time by UEFA. Maldini was given the "Marca Leyenda" award by Spanish sports newspaper Marca on November 17 for his service and success.

International career

Maldini was called by his father Cesare Maldini to the Italian under-21 national team in 1986 and made his debut for the team on November 12th in a 0–0 draw against Austria; he scored 12 caps and scored five goals in two years with the azzurrini, with his first goal coming against Portugal on February 11, 1989. Maldini was also a member of the Under-21 team that finished runners-up to Spain in the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In the 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, two years ago, he was also a member of the Under-21 team that was disqualified in the first round against eventual winners France.

Maldini made his senior debut for the Italy senior team on March 31 in a 1–1 friendly draw against Yugoslavia in Split, and made one appearance for the Italy Olympic team on October 28, 1988, although he did not compete in fourth place at the 1988 Olympics. Maldini appeared in all four of Italy's games at UEFA EURO 1988, where they advanced to the semi-finals after losing to the Soviet Union.

Maldini appeared in all seven Italy matches in 1990 on home soil for his first World Cup appearance. He helped Italy win five straight games and was a key member of the team's defense team, which held a FIFA World Cup record of five straight clean sheets. After going a World Cup record of 518 minutes without conceding, the Italian defense conceded an equalizing goal in the semi-final match against Carlos Bilardo's Argentina. Italy lost on penalties to Argentina after two extra minutes, in which neither team was able to score. After defeating England 2–1 in the third round of the tournament, Italy eventually finished third, with the strongest defense having conceded two goals in the entire World Cup. Maldini was selected to be a member of the Tournament's Team.

In a 2–0 friendly win over Mexico on January 20, 1993, Maldini's first international goal came in his 44th match in his career career. Maldini was a member of the Italy squad that competed in the 1992 United States Cup in the second place in the friendly tournament, behind the host country. Italy failed to qualify for Euro 1992, finishing second in their group, but Maldini was named vice captain for Italy in 1994. Maldini was involved in all seven of Italy's games and subbed for the injured Franco Baresi in the matches against Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, and Bulgaria, keeping a clean sheet against Norway in the group match against Norway. Maldini led the Italian defense team to the final, both as a center-back and as a full-back, due to the absences of his Milan and Italy defensive teammates Baresi, Mauro Tassotti, due to injury, and Alessandro Costacurta, who was suspended from the final. When Italy lost on penalties, Maldini helped keep a clean sheet in the final against favorite Brazil. Maldini was named in the Team of the Tournament in 1990, 32 years after his father Cesare was honoured at the 1962 World Cup.

Maldini was named the team's full-time captain following Franco Baresi's international departure in 1994. Italy was disqualified from the group stage with four points in a group featuring the two eventual finalists of the tournament, Germany, and the Czech Republic, after a disappointing Euro 1996 campaign. Maldini was involved in all three of Italy's group games. The 1998 World Cup in France saw Italy get off to a roaring start, leading their class. Maldini was involved in all five of Italy's games and got off the track that culminated in Christian Vieri's opening goal in Italy's first match against Chile, which resulted in a 2–2 draw. Maldini was assisting Italy in the second group match against Cameroon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, and Giuseppe Bergomi, but the hosts and eventual champions of the tournament lost on penalties for the third time in a World Cup match.

Maldini made his 100th appearance for Italy on April 28, 1999 in a 0–0 friendly away draw against Croatia under new head Dino Zoff. It was the following year that Italy reached the finals of Euro 2000, but they fell in extra time to defending World Cup champions France. During the tournament, Maldini appeared in all six of Italy's games. Italy topped their class, winning every game, and Maldini, starting with Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta, allowed the Italian defense to concede just two goals against co-hosts Belgium, Romania in the group stage, Romania in the quarterfinals, and co-hosts the Netherlands in the semi-finals, with Romania leading Italy and co-hosting the Netherlands. After a 0–0 draw with the Dutch following extra time, a ten-man Italy advanced to the final on penalties. Italy defeated Italy 3–1 despite Maldini missing his penalty. In the final minute of stoppage time, Italy was leading 1–0 until Wiltord equalized. In extra time, David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute. Maldini was chosen to serve on the team of the tournament in three of the three UEFA European Championships in which he competed.

Maldini beat Romania 3–0 in Milan on October 7, 2000, beating them both 2-0 for the first time in a 2002 World Cup qualifier, beating Dino Zoff to become Italy's most capped player of all time, with his 113th senior international appearance for Italy. Maldini competed in his fourth World Cup and second as captain in Korea and Japan. In Italy's opening win over Ecuador, he helped keep the sheet clean and he played in all four of Italy's games. In the remaining group matches, Italy was dissatisfied, but the second placed team of their team advanced to the knockout round. South Korea, Maldini's co-hosts, immediately after a ten-man Italy was humiliated in the round of sixteen by a golden goal, to co-hosts South Korea, Maldini retired from international football at the age of 34. He scored seven international goals, all of which came in home games. He spent more than half of his 16 years as an international captain, wearing the armband for the first 74 times until he was overtaken by Cannavaro and then Buffon. Despite his international success, Maldini was unable to win a trophy, even though he reached the finals of both the World Cup and the European Championship. Maldini made 23 appearances in World Cups, the second highest total after Lothar Matthäus, who appeared in 25 matches. Maldini holds the record for the most minutes played in World Cup matches with 2,216 minutes played.

Marcello Lippi, the Italian head coach, expressed his support for a testimonial match for Maldini, claiming that it would give him the opportunity to play for the Azzurri for the final time. In a friendly match against Northern Ireland, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) gave him a spot in the line-up. Maldini, on the other hand, declined the bid, claiming that he wanted to participate in a "official" match.

Career statistics

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