Paolo Maldini looks back over his career working with Nils Liedholm, Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, Carlo Ancelotti and his father Cesare.

The Rossoneri legend sat down with the Corriere dello Sport, you can read the rest of his comments here.

His father Cesare died last year, having been Paolo’s inspiration to become a player, then his Coach at both Milan and the Italy squad.

Paolo Maldini looks back over his career working with Nils Liedholm, Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, Carlo Ancelotti and his father Cesare.

The Rossoneri legend sat down with the Corriere dello Sport, you can read the rest of his comments here.

His father Cesare died last year, having been Paolo’s inspiration to become a player, then his Coach at both Milan and the Italy squad.

“He was my Dad. The fact that he was the Coach, when I was the captain of the Nazionale, only strengthened our bond. At the end of the day, I always saw him as a father, not a Coach or someone who directed me towards the world of football.

“After all, he retired in 1967 and I was born a year later, so I never got to saw him play. People always told me of his elegance, the way he played the ball at a time when defenders rarely did.

“Before realising what was my team, or even my sport, I was magnetically drawn to that football bouncing. It was utterly natural. I think it must be genetic to pass this passion on, as it’s what I have done with my children (who are now in the Milan youth academy).

“My father always respected my decisions, even when I was a child. He even asked me if I wanted to have my first trial at the academy of Inter or Milan, despite the fact he was crazy about the Rossoneri.”

There were more father figures in Maldini’s career at San Siro.

“Nils Liedholm was fundamental, as he believed in me when I was only 16 years old. It wasn’t a smooth journey, even if it was quite quick, because I had a lot of pressure on me and was still an adolescent. Liedholm always told me: ‘Don’t worry, have fun, football is a game.’

“Arrigo Sacchi was the opposite, as he was maniacal about every detail. He didn’t play football at a high level, which is perhaps why he struggled, especially at the start, to make sure he was heard. Once a player understood his credo, it rarely left him. It wasn’t just my career that took a turning point under Sacchi.

“Fabio Capello had me at the earliest youth levels and he taught me how to kick the ball, how to behave, helped me move from being a child to a man. His advice is always practical, at times can even seem banal, but you do carry it with you for the rest of your life.

“Ancelotti was first of all a great teammate. I played alongside him for five years and he was a winner who allowed us to create something special at Milan. He is an extraordinary person and I think he really relished his experiences with different Coaches. He seems to have taken something from each of them.”

Maldini won everything there was to win at club level, but never got the same glory for Italy.

“I took part in four World Cups and three European Championships, but the biggest disappointment is that I never won. I went close, very close, often condemned by a penalty shoot-out.

“The biggest opportunity was in 1994, losing on penalties to Brazil, but to be honest the 1990 World Cup was the one we cared about the most. It was on home turf and up until the semi-final with Argentina, we had the perfect tournament.”

The Azzurri did win the World Cup in 2006, but are struggling to enact a generational shift under Giampiero Ventura.

“There are generations that have more talent than others. At this moment, we’ve still got some of those from 2006 on the field, while the new generation isn’t quite ready to take over the main stage yet.

“Unfortunately, there is the risk that we might not get through the play-offs to reach Russia 2018. I still think the odds are in our favour, but there is a bit of an alarm bell ringing. Still, we knew from the start it would be tough in a group with Spain where only the winners go through directly.”

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