Paolo Maldini
Italian association football player (born 1968)
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Key Takeaways
- Paolo Cesare Maldini ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni] ; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who played as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team.
- As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed " Il Capitano ".
- He also holds the joint-record for most European Cup/UEFA Champions League final appearances (8) alongside Paco Gento.
- Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his playing career in Serie A with Milan and retired at the age of 41 in 2009.
- Maldini won the Best Defender award at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39, as well as the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004.
Paolo Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian football executive and former professional footballer who played as a left-back or as a centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as the greatest defender of all time. As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed "Il Capitano". 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.
Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his playing career in Serie A with Milan and retired 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 award 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, Milan retired his number 3 shirt.
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