milanhime夜未眠

Maldini marks 20 years of Serie A Saturday 　　15 January, 2005 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This week Paolo Maldini will mark the 20th anniversary of his Serie A debut and looks back at his career highs and lows. 

The defender, son of Milan and Italy legend Cesare Maldini, had his first taste of Serie A football on January 20 1985 at the age of 16 and spookily enough it was against Udinese – the same team he’ll face almost exactly two decades later. 

That tie ended 1-1 at the Stadio Friuli, but the Rossoneri will be hoping to celebrate with a victory that’ll keep them close on Juve’s tail. 

“I have been thinking of my future for the last two or three years, but I can’t make a decision,” said the 36-year-old. “The best thing would be to create another role for myself within this sport, but I’ve always said that it’s too stressful to be a Coach and I haven’t changed my mind in that respect.” 

So Paolo won’t be following in the footsteps of his father, who Coached both Milan and the Italy squad, but that decision is a few years off as he is determined to continue this glittering career. 

“The secret of my success is the willingness to put in the hard work,” he explained to the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’. “I still enjoy training and putting in the hours on the pitch. It’s that day to day aspect of football I’ll miss the most when I retire.” 

In 20 years he has faced every top name in the sport, but singles one opponent out for praise more than any other, and it is for a surprising reason.

“Undoubtedly Diego Armando Maradona. He was the greatest and was respectful of everyone, regardless of whether they were top stars or an average squad player. He was repeatedly kicked around and never complained, which is a far cry from today’s strikers!”

Despite the years going by, the Milan captain has already played 1,530 minutes of football in the current Serie A season – more than any of his teammates – and will return to his old left-back role so that Jaap Stam can start in central defence. 

“Paolo deserves every accolade there is,” commented his Coach and former teammate Carlo Ancelotti. “Apart from the trophies, he’ll be remembered for being a perfect gentleman and symbol of fair play in every occasion. He represents a milestone in the history of football.” 

Paolo Ameli is currently directing a movie which will look back on Maldini’s 20-year career. 

Shot on film and digital video, the feature-length production tells his life story through dramatised scenes as well as the player’s personal effects. 

There will also be 90 minutes of “extra time”, featuring more than 60 interviews with stars from the world of football. 

Due for release at the end of January, ‘Paolo Maldini – the film’ will go straight to home video. 

Meanwhile, Napoli idol Maradona is also set to become the subject of a football biopic. 

“The film will tell his whole history, from infancy to the present day, covering all the moments of glory in his career,” explained a representative from production company Globomedia. 

Marco Riso will direct the feature, in which three different aged - and different sized - actors will interpret the role of the Argentine legend.