Paolo Cesare Maldini is now, amazingly, 52 years old on this very day. Happy birthday, Paolo. A 6′ 2″ Milan-born player, he came to redefine defending as a beautiful art form, which required as much skill as any playmaker to execute it to perfection.
Ronaldinho said of him: “He was one of the best defenders in Champions League history, but what was so impressive about him is that when he was on the ball he didn’t look like a defender, but like an elegant midfield player.”
A one-club man, he turned out for Milan 902 times (a record), scoring on 33 occasions. He also played 126 times for his country, making him one of just 18 players to have played over 1,000 games.
His career in the Rossoneri first team began in the 1980s as a right-back, before switching to the left. While he was notionally right-footed, his left was better than most players’ best foot. It would be 25 years later when he finally retired at 41! Imagine playing as a defender in Italy until that age?! It is a remarkable feat of endurance, if nothing else.
He won seven Serie A titles, five European Cup/Champions League medals and pretty much every individual award, twice finishing third in the Ballon d’Or, almost unheard of for a defender. He captained his country at two World Cups.
After making his bow in 1984 (the youngest ever at 16 years and 208 days) he only played fewer than 30 games in five seasons, three of which were in his late thirties. With only one campaign – 2001/02 – half lost to injury, he was imperiously consistent.
He broke many records throughout his career. One of the most remarkable is fastest goal scored in Champions League/European Cup final history: 50 seconds against Liverpool in 2005. That also made him the oldest player to score in one at 36 years and 333 days. He has appeared in the most Champions League finals – eight – of any player. He was the first defender to be listed for the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award in 1995 (though it had only been in existence since 1991), coming second to George Weah.
He has made the most appearances for a single Italian club, the most competitive appearances in European competition (168), the most FIFA World Cup appearances for Italy (23), and has the most minutes played at World Cups (2,216).
Is he married to a former Venezualan model? Of course he is: Adriana Fossa.
Does he have his own fashion label? Of course he does. The oddly titled Sweet Years – which he runs with Christian Vieri. Very much Beauty and the Beast, that pairing.
Andrea Pirlo, a man who knows a thing or two about being a footballing god, said: “Paolo Maldini is the best. A defender. A peerless defender. The best defender going. Both physically and mentally, he had everything, and the enjoyment he got from playing was as obvious at 40 years of age as it had been the day I first walked through the door at Milan.”
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