4 – Paolo Maldini
Taking his career as a whole, Paolo Maldini ranks as one of Italy’s greatest ever defenders. For this specific list, he finds himself at a disadvantage only for having been born too early.
Maldini played the entire span of the 1990s, so he belongs to the previous generation more than to the one under scrutiny. Even so, his contributions were always of an excellent standard in 1998, 2000 and 2002, and he cannot go without mention.
The highlight of his career in the later years was Euro 2000, in which he reached the final. Playing next to Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta and Mark Iuliano, he was the shining body in an absolutely stellar defence. Initially deployed as a central player, he was moved by coach Dino Zoff to the left flank, to the benefit of both the player and the team.
Skilled beyond recounting and as tactically malleable as any defender ever was, his decision to withdraw from international football after the 2002 World Cup is still cause for lamentation.
