Maldini or Puyol
Paolo MALDINI VS Carles Puyol -The art of Defending
Carles Puyol vs Paolo Maldini - The Art of Defending
BEST DEFENDER OF FOOTBALL ALL TIME.
THE KING OF DEFENDER
In this video, we take a deep dive into the defensive prowess of the greatest Defenders of all time, Paolo Maldini and Carles Puyol. From their impeccable timing and tackling ability to his leadership and intelligence on the pitch, we examine the key aspects that made Maldini and Carles Puyol true defensive masters. Through a collection of highlights and expert analysis, viewers will gain a greater appreciation for Maldini's and Carles Puyol's impact on the game and understand why they are regarded as the best defenders in history.
Carles Puyol Saforcada (Catalan: [ˈkaɾləs puˈjɔl səfuɾˈkaðə], Spanish: [ˈkaɾles puˈʝol safoɾˈkaða]; born 13 April 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played his entire career for Barcelona. He mainly played as a central defender, but he could also play in either full-back position, mostly as a right-back.[4]
Praised for his defensive qualities and leadership, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders and captains of all time.[5][6] Puyol's abilities and prowess on the field earned him the nickname of "El Tiburón" ('The Shark') by teammates and fans.
He was Barcelona's captain from August 2004 until his retirement in 2014, and appeared in 593 competitive matches for the club. He won 18 major club titles, including six La Liga trophies and three Champions Leagues.
Puyol won 100 caps for Spain, and was part of the squads that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup semi-final, he scored the only goal of the game against Germany.[7]
Paolo Cesare Maldini OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer who played primarily as a left back and centre back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.[6][7][8][9][10][11] As the Milan and Italy captain for many years he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, until 2020, when he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon.[12] He most recently served as technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC.
Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his playing career in the Serie A with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 26 trophies with Milan: the European Cup/UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles, five European/UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Maldini won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39, as well as the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004. Following his retirement after the 2008–09 season, Milan retired his number 3 shirt.[13]
Maldini made his debut for Italy in 1988, playing for 14 years before retiring in 2002 with 7 goals and 126 caps, an appearance record at the time, which has since been surpassed by Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon. Maldini captained Italy for eight years and held the record for appearances as Italy's captain (75), until he was again overtaken by Cannavaro and Buffon.[14] With Italy, Maldini took part in four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. Although he did not win a tournament with Italy, he reached the final of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, and the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988. He was elected into the all-star teams for each of these tournaments, in addition to Euro 1996.
Maldini came second to George Weah for FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995. He also placed third in the Ballon d'Or in 1994 and 2003.[15] In 2002, he was chosen as a defender on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[16] He was ranked 21st in World Soccer magazine's list of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century.[17] He was also selected for the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020. Maldini held the record for most appearances in UEFA Club competitions, with 174, until he was overtaken by Iker Casillas in 2017.[18] He is the record appearance holder for Milan with 902 appearances in all competitions,[13] and is one of the few players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.[19][20][21] In December 2012, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.[22]
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