AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini has claimed that the club are great and unique in the world of football.
The former Italy captain talked at length about his long career in an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Milan are a unique club in Italy and in the world.” Maldini told Gazzetta.
“We have a great tradition and not many cubs can match our history.
“Times have changed since I played. Back when I started it was easier to form a group and the dressing room was a lot closer.
“It was not easy for me when I started at Milan, as everyone knew my father. But [Nils] Liedholm was great in looking after me and protecting me.
“I was lucky with how many great coaches I was able to work with.
“Liedholm gave me peace of mind, [Fabio] Capello taught me to be a professional and [Arrigo] Sacchi took me to the next level.
“From 2002 to 2004 I played my best football under Carlo Ancelotti. I played in all 19 Champions League games when we won the trophy in 2003, which was a highlight for me.”
Maldini then went onto talk about his time with the Italian national side.
“I remember the pressure and attention that was on the team and me as a player during my first major tournament in 1988. I made two or three appearances and it was amazing to be part of something that I was not used to.
“The World Cup in Italy in 1990 was special. It was a great occasion for the whole country and it was a shame that we did not make the final.
“The Word Cup final in the USA in 1994 was my biggest regret. We struggled with the climate and we adapted slowly. Not to have a World Cup winner’s medal is a huge regret.
“We were unlucky in Euro 1996 in England. We played well but could not beat a well organised Czech Republic.
“The final against France in Euro 2000 was again another regret. We had basically won the match and then we threw it away. Once again we were very unlucky.
“We played badly in the World Cup in 2002, there is no denying that. Although some of the criticism was over the top.
“The hardest players to defend against were [Diego] Maradona, Ronaldo and [Zinedine] Zidane.”
