Paolo MALDINI (Patreon)

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Paolo Cesare Maldini Ufficiale 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" ("The Captain"). Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, until 2020, when he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon.[12] He is currently serving 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.

Honours

AC Milan

• Serie A: 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04

• Coppa Italia: 2002–03

• Supercoppa Italiana: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2004

• European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 2002–03, 2006–07

• European/UEFA Super Cup: 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003

• Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990

• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Italy

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994; third place 1990[152]

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000[152]

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1986[62][63]

Individual

• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988, 1996, 2000[150]

• Bravo Award: 1989[153]

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990, 1994[154]

• Ballon d'Or: Third place 1994,[155]2003[156]

• World Soccer Player of the Year: 1994[157]

• El País European Player of the Year: 1994[158]

• UNICEF European Footballer of the Season: 1993–94[159]

• ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2002–03[160]

• FIFA World Player of the Year: Silver Award 1995[161]

• Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 2002[41]

• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2002[162][163]

• FIFA XI: 2002[164]

• UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2003[150]

• UEFA Team of the Year: 2003, 2005[150]

• UEFA President's Award: 2003[165]

• Serie A Defender of the Year: 2004[166]

• FIFA 100[167]

• UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll: #10[43][168]

• FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2005[169]

• UEFA Club Defender of the Year: 2007[150]

• Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2008[53]

• FIFA Order of Merit: 2008[170]

• UEFA Champions League Achievement Award: 2009[171]

• Marca Leyenda: 2009[59]

• Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009[172]

• ESPN World Team of the Decade: 2009[173]

• Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2012[174]

• World Soccer Greatest XI of all time: 2013[175]

• One Club Man Award: 2016[88][176]

• UEFA Euro All-time XI[177]

• AC Milan Hall of Fame[13]

• Inducted into the Walk of Fame of Italian sport: 2018[178]

• Gazzetta Sports Awards – Legend: 2018[179]

• Ballon d'Or Dream Team: 2020[180]

• IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team: 2021[181]

• Globe Soccer Awards Sporting Director of the Year: 2022[96]

Records

• Most appearances in all competitions (Milan): 902[26]

• Second-most Serie A appearances (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647

• Most league appearances for Milan (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647

• Most league appearances for the same club (Milan) (only Serie A regular-seasons): 647

• Most seasons played in Serie A: 25 (shared with Francesco Totti)

• Most seasons played in Serie A for the same club (Milan): 25 (shared with Francesco Totti for Roma)

• Third-most UEFA club competitions appearances: 174[182]

• Most UEFA club competitions appearances for Milan: 174

• Most UEFA club competitions appearances for the same club (Milan): 174

• Most European competitions appearances: 168

• Most European competitions appearances for AC Milan: 168

• Most UEFA Champions League appearances for AC Milan: 139

• Most finals played in UEFA Champions League – 8 (shared with Francisco Gento)

• Youngest first-team player (Milan): 16 years and 208 days (against Udinese, 20 January 1985)[183]

• Longest-serving player (Milan): 24 years and 132 days (from 20 January 1985 to 31 May 2009)

• Most FIFA World Cup appearances for Italy: 23[184][185]

• Record of minutes played in the World Cups: 2216[186]

• Fastest goal scored in UEFA Champions League/European Cup final history: 50 seconds, 2005

• Oldest player to score a goal in UEFA Champions League/European Cup final history: aged 36 years and 333 days, playing for Milan against Liverpool, 2005

• Most European/UEFA Super Cup titles: (shared with Dani Alves) (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003)[187]

• Most European/UEFA Super Cup final appearances: (shared with Dani Alves) (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2003)[188]

• Second-most career club appearances by an Italian player: 902

• Most appearances for a single Italian club: 902 (with Milan)