That wasn't exactly what Maldini said. I was just quoting from memory. I don't specifically remember Maldini using the word "lie" (I might have fabricated the word a bit;
but Maldini meant the same thing), but I do remember Maldini saying that had he handled this issue with honesty, the situation wouldn't have gone out of control.
The "lie" however was pretty obvious, wasn't it? I sometime even doubt that he wanted more money; probably it was simply his wife. Players come and go, which is only natural in this highly commercialized soccer world. But Rui Costa and Stam will leave behind only sweet memory and Milan fans' appreciation, because they were more mature (not just honest) thus they receive respect. Who would believe that he could use 'learning English' as one of his reasons?
It is a huge shame that an important figure who had done so much for Milan and would have come down into Milan's history book easily as one of the top 10 big names could let all these be destroyed. He has hurt Milan badly, he has hurt Milan fans badly, and he has hurt himself badly. I couldn't care less, but he is a 30-year-old, and he should just take the consequences of his own decisions. I am a few months older than him, (that makes me a 30-year-old too), so trust me, I fully understand what that means.
this is slightly off-topic: Gullit, Capello; they both left Milan in a bad/sour term, and their comeback didn't lead to any positivity, so I strongly doubt that Milan will have him back, as much he could have done to us tactically. We don't need him; the damage is too huge comparatively speaking. if we could, I would rather Milan go for Cassano. He is a locker-room bomb, but at least he is still a kid, and it is easier to discipline a real kid than a 30-year-old kid.