The eternal defender

AC Milans talent scout Fausto Braga realized already 1978 the natural talent of Paolo Maldini, and was smart enough to fetch him for the junior team of AC Milan. On the 20th january 1985 a 16 year old Paolo Maldini played his first game for AC Milan in Serie A in the stadium of Udine, the match ended 1:1. Maldini was convincing, it was the beginning of a legend. Till 2009, he played in 647 matches for AC Milan. These are 24 years for one and the same club, an absolutely rarity. Or how modest Paolo Maldini once said: „Coming out of this tunnel into San Siro must be the most an aspiring footballer could ever dream of – and especially for someone born in Milan. It really is a dream come true.“

Paolo Maldini was not only playing for AC Milan – he was AC Milan. And he managed to reach immortality as a defender without offenses and fouls. He received only 4 (!) red cards in his 647 Serie A matches. And scored 30 times. He won with AC Milan seven times the Scudetta, three times the Champions League and the Uefa Champions League, five times the Uefa Super Cup and so on, as well as many awards. From 1988–1992 he played 126 matches in the national team of Italy (7 goals). He was also the Milan and Italy Captain for many years and was considered a leader amongst leaders by fellow footballers, leading to the nickname „Il Capitano“. Only one drop of bitterness touched his career: As a member of the national team, he never won a trophy – even when he was participating four times at the World Cup and three times at the European Championship.

He never made a much of a fuss about his person or talent. «All i wanted is to play.“ Oh yes! Since his retirement in 2009, no other player of AC Milan is allowed to wear the shirt No. 3. Unless, one of Paolo Maldini’s sons will play one day in the professional team of AC Milan.

More about Paolo Maldini in „Paolo Maldini – The Film“. 1 hour, 59 minutes and 26 seconds about the eternal defender, or how some female fans used to call him „sex on legs“…