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Cesare Maldini

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Cesare Maldini
Maldini in 1969
Personal information
Full name Cesare Maldini
Date of birth (1932-02-05) 5 February 1932 (age 92)
Place of birth Trieste, Italy
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1952–1954 Triestina 32 (0)
1954–1966 Milan 347 (3)
1966–1967 Torino 33 (0)
Total 412 (3)
International career
1960–1963 Italy 14 (0)
Managerial career
1970–1972 Milan (assistant manager)
1972–1974 Milan
1974–1976 Foggia
1976–1977 Ternana
1978–1980 Parma
1980–1986 Italy (assistant manager)
1986–1996 Italy U21
1996–1998 Italy
2001 Milan
2001–2002 Paraguay
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Cesare Maldini (born 5 February 1932) is an Italian former football manager and player, who spent most of his playing career with Italian club A.C. Milan, also later coaching the side. A commanding, elegant, and respected defender, with good technique, discipline, and an excellent ability to read the game, he was known for his leadership, consistency, and tactical versatility; although he was usually deployed as a centre back, or as a sweeper, he was also capable of functioning as a right-back.[1][2]

At club level, Maldini won 4 Serie A league titles and 1 European Cup with Milan. Internationally, he played for the Italian national team, earning 25 caps and participating in the 1962 World Cup. As a coach, he had a successful career in charge of the Italian Under-21 side, winning the European Under-21 Football Championship a record three consecutive times.

Biography

Cesare Maldini was born in Trieste, Venezia Giulia, Italy. Married to Maria Luisa, one of his six sons, Paolo, also a defender, once held the record for the most caps for the Italian national team (now third behind Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro). The younger Maldini captained Milan to the UEFA Champions League title in 2003 and 2007. Maldini's grandsons, Christian[3] and Daniel play football in junior teams.[4]

Playing career

After starting his playing career with Triestina, in 1952, Maldini transferred to A.C. Milan in 1954, where he went on to achieve notable successes both domestically and internationally in the team's starting line-up, making 347 appearances in Serie A, and scoring 3 goals. Maldini won four Serie A league titles and one European Cup during his time with Milan,[5] also later becoming the team's captain for several years. In 1966 he moved to Torino for a season, before retiring.[4][6]

At international level Maldini earned 14 caps between 1960 and 1963, also serving as the team's captain between 1962 and 1963,[7] but was less successful than with Milan. He made his debut on 6 January 1960, in a 3–0 win over Switzerland,[7] and later took part in the 1962 FIFA World Cup with Italy, where the team suffered a controversial first-round elimination, although he was named to the team of the tournament for his performances.[4][8]

Managerial career

Early career

After retiring from playing Maldini became a coach, starting his career as an assistant manager for Nereo Rocco at Milan in 1970, and later also briefly coaching the team between 1972 and 1974, winning a Coppa Italia and a Cup Winners' Cup double in 1973, and narrowly missing out on the league title. He later went on to coach Foggia (1974–1976), (Ternana) (1976–77), and Serie C1 side Parma (1978–80), helping the team to obtain Serie B promotion during his tenure with the club.[2][4]

Between 1980 and 1986, he was one of Enzo Bearzot's assistants for the Italian national team, including in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, which Italy won.[2][4][9]

Italy under-21 coach

Maldini took charge of the Italian Under-21 side in 1986, and coached the team for ten years, winning the European Under-21 Football Championship tournament a record three consecutive times between 1992 and 1996.[10] Former protégés Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti from the 1996-winning squad went on to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also coached the Italian Olympic teams that took part at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.[2][9]

1998 World Cup with Italy senior team

Following his successes with the Under-21 side, Maldini took charge of the senior team in 1996, replacing Arrigo Sacchi, and successfully qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup through the play-offs against Russia.[9] Despite struggling in qualification, the Italian media and fans had great expectations of the 1998 side, which included a strong defence, and several prolific attacking players, such as Christian Vieri, Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi, among others, in their prime. Cesare Maldini's son, Paolo, was captain of the team.[11]

Italy were drawn in Group B of the tournament with Chile, Cameroon and Austria. They won their group, drawing 2–2 with Chile in their opening game,[9] and then beating Cameroon 3–0[12] and Austria 2–1.[13] Advancing to the Round of 16, Italy then beat Norway 1–0[14] to secure a spot in the Quarter-finals against tournament hosts France. After a goalless draw, Italy were eventually eliminated by the eventual champions on penalties.[15]

Maldini resigned after the tournament due to heavy criticism in the Italian media over his allegedly ultra-defensive and "old-fashioned" catenaccio-inspired tactics, which included the use of a traditional man-marking defensive back-line line, as well as a sweeper.[9][11][16][17][18] He was also condemned for leaving Gianfranco Zola out of the squad, and for his reluctance to field creative forwards Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero alongside each other in the front-line, opting instead to have one player come on for the other in the second half;[9][11][19] these controversial substitutions were compared to those made between Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera by Ferruccio Valcareggi, the Italian manager at the 1970 World Cup.[20]

2002 World Cup with Paraguay

After briefly coaching his former team Milan in 2001 serving as an interim manager for the club (whose captain was his son, Paolo),[21] in January 2002, Maldini became coach of Paraguay's national team.[22] His appointment caused some controversy as domestic managers were overlooked (prompting the managers union to try to unsuccessfully expel him for immigration breaches), and because he spoke little Spanish. Maldini nonetheless had the support of star goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert and several other senior players.[23] He took over the team which had already qualified for the 2002 World Cup hosted by South Korea and Japan, becoming the oldest coach in that tournament at the age of 70 (his son Paolo captained Italy in the same tournament).[4]

Despite missing Chilavert for the first game due to suspension, Paraguay managed to advance from Group B to the Round of 16, after a 2–2 draw with South Africa,[24] a 3–1 defeat from Spain,[25] and a 3–1 victory over Slovenia.[26] In the Round of 16, Paraguay were eliminated by the eventual finalists Germany, losing 1–0 courtesy of an 89th-minute goal from Oliver Neuville.[27]

After retirement

After the 2002 World Cup, Maldini returned to A.C. Milan as a talent scout for the Rossoneri.[28] Maldini also later worked as a sports analyst for the beIN SPORTS channel, and for Al Jazeera in 2012, with Alessandro Altobelli.[4]

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Triestina 1952–53 1 0 - - - - - - 1 0
1953–54 31 0 - - - - - - 31 0
Milan 1954–55 27 1 - - - - 1 0 28 1
1955–56 22 0 - - 6 0 2 0 30 0
1956–57 21 1 - - - - 2 0 23 1
1957–58 32 0 3 0 8 0 - - 43 0
1958–59 34 0 1 0 - - 1 0 36 0
1959–60 29 0 - - 4 0 1 0 34 0
1960–61 30 0 2 0 - - 2 0 34 0
1961–62 34 1 - - 2 0 - - 36 1
1962–63 31 0 1 0 9 0 2 0 43 0
1963–64 22 0 1 0 3 0 3 0 29 0
1964–65 34 0 - - 2 0 - - 36 0
1965–66 31 0 1 0 8 0 - - 40 0
Torino 1966–67 33 0 3 0 - - 3 0 39 0
Total for Milan 347 3 9 0 42 0 14 0 412 3
Career totals 412 3 12 0 42 0 17 0 451 3

*European competitions include the UEFA Champions League & UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

International

Italy national team
Year Apps Goals
1960 1 0
1961 3 0
1962 6 0
1963 4 0
Total 14 0

Honours

Player

Club

Milan[2][1]

Manager

Club

Milan[2][6]

International

Italy national under-21 football team

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: Cesare Maldini". acmilan.com. A.C. Milan. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Alberto Costa. "Maldini, Cesare" (in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002). Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Christian Maldini". Discipline Knowledge. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Giorgio Dell’Arti (9 May 2014). "Cesare Maldini" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Wembley 1963". Uefa.com. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Cesare Maldini". magliarossonera.it (in Italian). Maglia Rossonera. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Maldini, Cesare" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  8. ^ a b "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Francia 1998 - Capitolo II: Le scelte di Cesare" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Italy beats Spain: third European title for Cesare Maldini" (PDF). FIGC.it. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  11. ^ a b c "Francia 1998 - Capitolo II: Le scelte di Cesare" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Italy – Cameroon3:0 (1:0)". FIFA. 17 June 1998.
  13. ^ "Vieri, Baggio goals help Italy win 2–1, avoid Brazil". CNN. 15 September 1998.
  14. ^ "Italia, la vittoria della sofferenza" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  15. ^ "Francia avanti, ancora rigori stregati" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  16. ^ Helene Elliott (17 June 1998). "Player's Father Always Interferes With Italy's Coach". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Profile: Cesare Maldini". BBC.co.uk. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Test per la difesa a tre Spazio a Cossu e Maggio" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  19. ^ "Maldini sceglie Baggio, ma Alex vuole il posto" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Messico 70 e quei sei minuti di Rivera" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  21. ^ "Prima trasferta" (in Italian). Rai Sport. 7 April 2001. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  22. ^ "Maldini to Coach Paraguay in Cup". New York Times. 28 December 2001. Retrieved 28 December 2001.
  23. ^ "World Cup 2002 Cesare Maldini". BBC.
  24. ^ "South Africa peg back Paraguay". BBC. 2 June 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  25. ^ "Spain reach last 16". BBC. 7 June 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  26. ^ "Slovenia - Paraguay (1-3)". Sky Sports. 12 June 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  27. ^ "Germany edge out Paraguay". BBC. 15 June 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  28. ^ "Mondiali, Cesare Maldini: farò l'osservatore del Milan" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  29. ^ "ERIC BATTY’S WORLD XI – THE SIXTIES" Retrieved on 26 November 2015
Sporting positions
Preceded by Milan captain
1961–1966 		Succeeded by
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