Maldini Set for 1000th Game

Number 1000 The Rossoneri captain made his debut an incredible 23 years ago on January 20, 1985 against Udinese in Serie A, and he has since gone on to make 999 appearances. This evening Milan travel to the Stadio Tardini to play Parma, and Maldini is expected to be given the honour of his 1000th appearance. Maldini was asked how it felt to reach the number, 8427 days after his first-ever game all those years ago. “Serginho always asks me how many nights I have spent in a pre-match ritiro. The answer is really quite a lot…” said the 39-year-old. “My other view of this milestone is that I have been fortunate to avoid serious injuries, to play in a great club, to be pushed by an enormous passion for the sport and having always had fun.” Inter 6-0 During his career Maldini has won six different games with a 6-0 scoreline. So which one of these was the most gratifying? “The derby we played with Inter as the home team. I remember the sight of the scoreboard at San Siro and my father’s face, as he was on the bench. It wasn’t a great season, but the derby gave us all such joy,” he explained. “Having said that, it’s not always enjoyable to win by such a big margin. We respected Inter in that game. It is not right to stop when you are 2-0 or 3-0 up, but at the end of the day you do feel a little sorry if a team is beaten so heavily.” Legacy Maldini is set to end his illustrious playing days at the end of the season. So what legacy does he wish to leave? “I hope my legacy will be one of absolute respect for the sport and opposition,” he stated with unrivalled class. “This respect has been recognised by the fans, as I have never been insulted or jeered in any particular fashion. “I did not create a personality or character that is separate from how I am in real life and this was appreciated by fans.” Maldini will undoubtedly go down as one of, if not the most, legendary Italian footballer of all time.

Roberto Rossi