sport news Paolo Maldini is one of Milan's all-time greats, but how has he performed as a ... trends now
Paolo Maldini was AC Milan's greatest Italian player of the past 40 years and is still considered an icon in Italy and Europe to this day.
The former defender is the classic Italian: charming, cultured, gifted with great sporting culture and devoted to his great love, Milan. There is no club where he can work except in his hometown Milan where his father, Cesare, was also a prominent figure.
At the moment, though, the successes he enjoyed as a player do not quite seem to translate into similar successes as a sporting director. Maldini's career at the helm of Milan is full of lights but also many shadows.
No one can reproach him for his commitment and his place as part of the club's history, but many of his decisions, especially in the periods immediately before and after winning Serie A in 2021-22, demonstrate how Maldini still has plenty to work on.
He's not rancorous but he's very stubborn, and he has his own ideas of himself that are difficult to displace even with the utmost commitment on the part of sporting director Frederic Massara, his trusted confidant, and chairman Paolo Scaroni.
Paolo Maldini remained at AC Milan after his career, taking on the role of technical director
With over 900 appearances, Maldini is undoubtedly one of the club's greatest icons of all-time
MALDINI IS THE PERFECT FILTER BETWEEN PITCH AND DESK
Today, Maldini is the true beating heart of the club. Where Scaroni is largely a diplomatic and institutional figure, the real architect in every situation, be it victory or defeat, is the legendary former captain.
He talks to everyone, he is a friend and confidant of the players - in particular of Rafael Leao - as he himself admitted to DAZN, and above all he is the point of reference for every single player and employee of AC Milan.
From the warehouse keeper to the president's secretary, the club's third goalkeeper to the captain - everyone recognises in him the glory of a former player who has red and black blood in his veins.
During his time with the Rossoneri, he played 902 matches, setting a Serie A record with 647 appearances for the first team. When you think of AC Milan, it is hard not to think of Maldini, who is emblematic of the club that came of age with the arrival of Silvio Berlusconi.
Alessandro Costacurta, Sebastiano Rossi, Mauro Tassotti and Filippo Galli all became legends of the club thanks to him and his prodigious career path. Today even as technical director, despite some hiccups, Maldini is one of the most successful managers in Italy.
Club chairman Paolo Scaroni is largely a diplomatic and institutional figure at the Rossoneri
The Italian legend is thought to have a loose relationship with forward Rafael Leao (second left)
However, to become the very best he still has to make a very long journey that will see him move past the stubborn refusal to give up on a football philosophy that is too risky to bring AC Milan and immediate success.
Even for the great Maldini there is not infinite credit in the bank, and his next year will be key in deciding his future.
Maldini can no longer make mistakes and Stefano Pioli's extended stay in Milan seems to also indicate his own continued reign at the helm.
HIS ABILITY TO SPOT AN ATTACKER LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED
Maldini has pulled off several impressive contractual deals but has fallen into the trap of being held prisoner by his own ideas, which are not entirely supported by an in-depth technical knowledge of individual players.
In terms of defensive recruitment, Maldini is probably the
