Bye Paolo, Bye Our Legend..
Last Saturday, May 16 2009, Paolo Maldini, indicated by many as one of the best Milan players of this final part of the season, played at Udine his 900th official game with the Rossoneri’s shirt.
The other important dates of Paolo are many. November 12, 1986, made his debut with the Italian Under 21 national team, whereas on May 15 1988 he won at Como (the same stadium of his first goal in Serie A, a year and a half earlier) his first Scudetto with Milan. 1989 is the special year of the Finals, both for Paolo Maldini and Milan: on May 24 of that year, the Rossoneri’s team, after 20 years, returns European Champions as they beat Steaua Bucharest 4-0: on December 7 arrives the European Super Cup at San Siro with a goal of Evani against Barcelona; on December 17 it is Evani again who scores the winner in the World Club Cup at Tokyo against Nacional Medellini. 1990 is sweet and sour: on May 23 Milan win the Champions Cup again in Vienna against Benfica thanks to a goal by Frank Rijkaard; on July 3 Italy is defeated in the semi-final of the world cup by Argentina; on December 17 Milan returns world champion in Tokyo against Olimpia Asuncion, but Paolo hurts himself to a shoulder.
After two other Scudetti won and also Italian Super Cups, there is France on the horizon. It’s a France who gives and takes. On May 26 1993 in Munich, Olympique Marseille beats Milan in the Champions Cup final, but on December 28 of the same year, the first great recognition for Paolo. In Paris, precisely from the great newspaper L’Equipe, arrives the title of Player of the Year.
On April 17 1994 Milan won its 14th Scudetto, despite equalizing 2-2 at San Siro against Udinese. But it’s not over: on May 18 1994 with Paolo vice-captain, due to the absence of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta, Milan won the Champions Cup beating the favourites Barcelona, coached by Johan Cruyff. Almost two months later, on July 17, there is another final but less enthusiastic. It’s the Pasadena-Los Angeles, where the Azzurri coached by Arrigo Sacchi lose the World Cup final of USA 94 from the penalty shoot-out against Brazil.
1995 sees Paolo winning the European Super Cup at San Siro against Arsenal on February 8, losing the Champions Cup final in Vienna 1-0 against Ajax of Rijkaard, Seedorf and Kluivert, and reach 500 official games in career with Milan and the national team. This happens in the Uefa Cup, in a game between Milan and Sparta Prague at San Siro, but Paolo still finds the way to celebrate in the league three days later, on November 26, scoring a goal at San Siro in Milan-Piacenza 3-0.
Paolo’s story in the European scene started in the Uefa Cup in 1985, at Auxerre in France. Then on September 7 1988, the debut in the Champions Cup in Bulgaria: Vitocha Sofia-Milan 0-2. The 50th game arrived on February 2 1994: Milan-Parma 0-2 and European Super Cup won by the Emiliani, a healthy defeat which then stirs Milan and a few months later they win the Scudetto-Champions Cup double. From these first 100 games, the most fun win arrived in Denmark (6-0 for Milan) on October 20 1993 at the Parken stadium against Copenhagen.
On March 15 2003, Paolo Maldini plays his 500th match in Serie A. For such an important recurrence, Milan is expected on Saturday evening at Reggio Calabria. The Amaranti’s public, warm and enthusiastic like few others, at the moment of his warming up, chant his name and applaud Paolo Maldini.
On May 28 2003, Paolo raises to the sky of Manchester in England, like his father did exactly 40 years before, the Champions Cup. The wins do not stop: on May 31 Paolo is happy to have won his first Coppa Italia of his career, whereas on August 29 2003, against Porto of Jose Mourinho, a goal by Andriy Shevchenko allows Milan to triumph in the European Super Cup in Montecarlo. On December 14 2003, Boca Juniors beat Milan in the Club World Cup in Yokohama, but in the final Milan will make up for this defeat on December 16 2007, beating 4-2 and without the penalties the first Fifa Club World Cup won by a European club. In between many other things: May 2 2004, Milan-Roma 1-0, 17th Scudetto; August 21 2004, Milan–Lazio 3-0, Italian Super Cup won; May 25, Milan-Liverpool 5-6 from the penalty shoot-outs, Istanbul; May 23 2007, Milan-Liverpool 2-1, Athens; August 31 2007, Milan-Sevilla 3-1, Europeane Super Cup won.
Here are other important numbers of the Captain:
THE 33 GOALS SCORED BY MALDINI
• SERIE A: 29
• CHAMPIONS CUP/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 3
• COPPA ITALIA: 1
THE 56 DERBY GAMES OF MALDINI
. SERIE A: 42
• CHAMPIONS CUP/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 4
• COPPA ITALIA: 7
• TROFEO BERLUSCONI: 1
. FRIENDLIES: 2
Last Saturday, May 16 2009, Paolo Maldini, indicated by many as one of the best Milan players of this final part of the season, played at Udine his 900th official game with the Rossoneri’s shirt.
The other important dates of Paolo are many. November 12, 1986, made his debut with the Italian Under 21 national team, whereas on May 15 1988 he won at Como (the same stadium of his first goal in Serie A, a year and a half earlier) his first Scudetto with Milan. 1989 is the special year of the Finals, both for Paolo Maldini and Milan: on May 24 of that year, the Rossoneri’s team, after 20 years, returns European Champions as they beat Steaua Bucharest 4-0: on December 7 arrives the European Super Cup at San Siro with a goal of Evani against Barcelona; on December 17 it is Evani again who scores the winner in the World Club Cup at Tokyo against Nacional Medellini. 1990 is sweet and sour: on May 23 Milan win the Champions Cup again in Vienna against Benfica thanks to a goal by Frank Rijkaard; on July 3 Italy is defeated in the semi-final of the world cup by Argentina; on December 17 Milan returns world champion in Tokyo against Olimpia Asuncion, but Paolo hurts himself to a shoulder.
After two other Scudetti won and also Italian Super Cups, there is France on the horizon. It’s a France who gives and takes. On May 26 1993 in Munich, Olympique Marseille beats Milan in the Champions Cup final, but on December 28 of the same year, the first great recognition for Paolo. In Paris, precisely from the great newspaper L’Equipe, arrives the title of Player of the Year.
On April 17 1994 Milan won its 14th Scudetto, despite equalizing 2-2 at San Siro against Udinese. But it’s not over: on May 18 1994 with Paolo vice-captain, due to the absence of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta, Milan won the Champions Cup beating the favourites Barcelona, coached by Johan Cruyff. Almost two months later, on July 17, there is another final but less enthusiastic. It’s the Pasadena-Los Angeles, where the Azzurri coached by Arrigo Sacchi lose the World Cup final of USA 94 from the penalty shoot-out against Brazil.
1995 sees Paolo winning the European Super Cup at San Siro against Arsenal on February 8, losing the Champions Cup final in Vienna 1-0 against Ajax of Rijkaard, Seedorf and Kluivert, and reach 500 official games in career with Milan and the national team. This happens in the Uefa Cup, in a game between Milan and Sparta Prague at San Siro, but Paolo still finds the way to celebrate in the league three days later, on November 26, scoring a goal at San Siro in Milan-Piacenza 3-0.
Paolo’s story in the European scene started in the Uefa Cup in 1985, at Auxerre in France. Then on September 7 1988, the debut in the Champions Cup in Bulgaria: Vitocha Sofia-Milan 0-2. The 50th game arrived on February 2 1994: Milan-Parma 0-2 and European Super Cup won by the Emiliani, a healthy defeat which then stirs Milan and a few months later they win the Scudetto-Champions Cup double. From these first 100 games, the most fun win arrived in Denmark (6-0 for Milan) on October 20 1993 at the Parken stadium against Copenhagen.
On March 15 2003, Paolo Maldini plays his 500th match in Serie A. For such an important recurrence, Milan is expected on Saturday evening at Reggio Calabria. The Amaranti’s public, warm and enthusiastic like few others, at the moment of his warming up, chant his name and applaud Paolo Maldini.
On May 28 2003, Paolo raises to the sky of Manchester in England, like his father did exactly 40 years before, the Champions Cup. The wins do not stop: on May 31 Paolo is happy to have won his first Coppa Italia of his career, whereas on August 29 2003, against Porto of Jose Mourinho, a goal by Andriy Shevchenko allows Milan to triumph in the European Super Cup in Montecarlo. On December 14 2003, Boca Juniors beat Milan in the Club World Cup in Yokohama, but in the final Milan will make up for this defeat on December 16 2007, beating 4-2 and without the penalties the first Fifa Club World Cup won by a European club. In between many other things: May 2 2004, Milan-Roma 1-0, 17th Scudetto; August 21 2004, Milan–Lazio 3-0, Italian Super Cup won; May 25, Milan-Liverpool 5-6 from the penalty shoot-outs, Istanbul; May 23 2007, Milan-Liverpool 2-1, Athens; August 31 2007, Milan-Sevilla 3-1, Europeane Super Cup won.
Here are other important numbers of the Captain:
THE 33 GOALS SCORED BY MALDINI
• SERIE A: 29
• CHAMPIONS CUP/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 3
• COPPA ITALIA: 1
THE 56 DERBY GAMES OF MALDINI
. SERIE A: 42
• CHAMPIONS CUP/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 4
• COPPA ITALIA: 7
• TROFEO BERLUSCONI: 1
. FRIENDLIES: 2
