SANT

SANT · 25-09-2008, 12:37

Paolo Maldini, the legacy

This is his last season as a player... after 24 seasons with Milan (yes, that's right 24) he's saying goodbye.

We all remember him in that excellent defensive line with Baresi, Costacurta and Tassotti (you can add Galli) from the late 80's and early 90's... but you may not know how it all started.

He was born 5 years after his father Cesare had already lifted what we now know as the Champions League as Milan's captain in the 1963 final.

He played football in school, but not really with the intention of becoming a professional player... it was until he was a teenager that he was taken to the Milan youth sector managers... I can't remember the names, but one of the scouts took him to the Primavera manager and told him something like "the kid plays in defense... don't feel committed to give him a spot just because he's Cesare's son... if you think you can use him, keep him... if not, just let him go".... now we know they were able to use him... for 24 years, and more silverware than a catering supply company.

The strange thing is that he started playing in the RB position... actually in his Serie A debut, when he was 16, and because pretty much every other Milan defender was injured, he played RB. Keep in mind this is even before the 1986 WC in Mexico. Italy had won the WC in Spain 3 years before, with great defenders like Scirea, Collovati, Baresi, Bergomi, etc.

He's naturally right handed, but always had good control of the ball with both legs, so he was used also in the left side, and made a career out of that position, for him, and for many other players who started following him.

By 1988 he was already in the Italian NT that went to the Euro... in one of the most impressive matches ever for a defender, the 19 year old took care of Michel, the star of Real Madrid and the Spain NT, and pretty much didn't allow him to touch the ball in the entire game. From there, to the WC in Italy, were he was confirmed as a star.

By 1994, the same year he got married to Venezuelan model Adriana Fossa, at 26 years of age, and after a sad defeat in the WC final in USA, he received the captain's armband from Franco Baresi... one he wore from that day, and until the elimination of Italy in the Korea/Japan WC by Byron Moreno (ooops, sorry, I meant by the Korean NT)...

No one has ever played more games with Milan, or with the Italian NT... now Cannavaro is the only one who seems like he could reach that number, but let's remember Maldini could have played in the NT at least for 4 more years.

(I'll continue later, don't want to make you read too much at once)

25-09-2008, 12:37	#157
SANT Moderator Join Date: 07 2005 Location: California, USA Fave Players: Capitan Maldini, Kaka', Nesta & Gli Invecibili	Paolo Maldini, the legacy This is his last season as a player... after 24 seasons with Milan (yes, that's right 24) he's saying goodbye. We all remember him in that excellent defensive line with Baresi, Costacurta and Tassotti (you can add Galli) from the late 80's and early 90's... but you may not know how it all started. He was born 5 years after his father Cesare had already lifted what we now know as the Champions League as Milan's captain in the 1963 final. He played football in school, but not really with the intention of becoming a professional player... it was until he was a teenager that he was taken to the Milan youth sector managers... I can't remember the names, but one of the scouts took him to the Primavera manager and told him something like "the kid plays in defense... don't feel committed to give him a spot just because he's Cesare's son... if you think you can use him, keep him... if not, just let him go".... now we know they were able to use him... for 24 years, and more silverware than a catering supply company. The strange thing is that he started playing in the RB position... actually in his Serie A debut, when he was 16, and because pretty much every other Milan defender was injured, he played RB. Keep in mind this is even before the 1986 WC in Mexico. Italy had won the WC in Spain 3 years before, with great defenders like Scirea, Collovati, Baresi, Bergomi, etc. He's naturally right handed, but always had good control of the ball with both legs, so he was used also in the left side, and made a career out of that position, for him, and for many other players who started following him. By 1988 he was already in the Italian NT that went to the Euro... in one of the most impressive matches ever for a defender, the 19 year old took care of Michel, the star of Real Madrid and the Spain NT, and pretty much didn't allow him to touch the ball in the entire game. From there, to the WC in Italy, were he was confirmed as a star. By 1994, the same year he got married to Venezuelan model Adriana Fossa, at 26 years of age, and after a sad defeat in the WC final in USA, he received the captain's armband from Franco Baresi... one he wore from that day, and until the elimination of Italy in the Korea/Japan WC by Byron Moreno (ooops, sorry, I meant by the Korean NT)... No one has ever played more games with Milan, or with the Italian NT... now Cannavaro is the only one who seems like he could reach that number, but let's remember Maldini could have played in the NT at least for 4 more years. (I'll continue later, don't want to make you read too much at once) __________________ Borriello: Forget Belen, forget your internal ghosts... go back to scoring!!!