Paolo Maldini
Italian association football player (born 1968)
Who was Paolo Maldini?
Paolo Maldini was born on June 26, 1968. Paolo Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who spent his entire career playing as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team.
Career and public life
As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". Maldini was a one-club man, spending all 25 seasons of his playing career in Serie A with Milan and 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. Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who spent his entire career playing as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team.
Historical significance
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders and players of all time. Maldini held the record for appearances in Serie A (647), until he was surpassed by Gianluigi Buffon in 2020. He also holds the joint-record for most European Cup/UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) alongside Paco Gento. From 2018 to 2023 he worked at AC Milan as sporting director and is a co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC.