Famous former Italian professional footballer Paolo Cesare Maldini played left back and center back for A.C. Milan and the Italy national team. Most people are familiar with him as one of the all-time best players and one of the best defenders.
With 647 appearances, he also holds the record for most appearances in Serie A. He is currently a technical director for Milan and a co-owner of Miami FC, a USL Championship team. Prior to his retirement in 2009, Paolo Maldini played for Milan for a total of 25 seasons. When he retired, he was 41 years old.
He has won 25 trophies across a variety of categories, including the UEFA Champions League, Serie A championships, the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, the European Super FIFA Club World Cup, and Intercontinental Cups. Check out his top 48 sayings to use as motivation now.
“It would be great to lift the Champions League trophy.”― Paolo Maldini
“Too much tension can do bad things to you.”― Paolo Maldini
“Miami has been my second home for 15 years, so I look forward to spending more and more time here as co-owner of Miami FC, giving my enthusiastic contribution for its success.”― Paolo Maldini
“It is very hard to find a good defender who is strong and good with the ball. Very hard.”― Paolo Maldini
“We are glad not only to bring a professional soccer team to Miami but also to support all of its communities through our social responsibility commitment.”― Paolo Maldini
6th of 48 Paolo Maldini Quotes
“SERGIO RAMOS HAS EVERYTHING TO BECOME THE BEST DEFENDER IN THE WORLD, IF HE IS NOT ALREADY.”― PAOLO MALDINI
“Bringing in innovation and youth is not a bad thing: it is a courageous choice.”― Paolo Maldini
“Milan is not just a team for me. It is part of my life.”― Paolo Maldini
“My teammate Franco Baresi was a real captain. He was an example for everyone. Not a big talker. He never talked. But on the field or in training, he was No. 1.”― Paolo Maldini
“I started playing when I was 10 for Milan, and I quit when I was 41, so it’s a long, long career.”― Paolo Maldini
“Galliani is a great leader but can’t understand players.”― Paolo Maldini
“Sometimes when you have difficulties qualifying, you can still go and play a good World Cup.”― Paolo Maldini
“You cannot choose your opponents.”― Paolo Maldini
“I have a great relationship with the fans. They love me; they have always shown that.”― Paolo Maldini
15th of 48 Paolo Maldini Quotes
“I WON MY FIRST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN 1989, AND I WON MY LAST ONE 18 YEARS LATER.”― PAOLO MALDINI
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a football player. So I achieved my dream.”― Paolo Maldini
“I had my father on the Under-21 team and during the World Cup in France in 1998 – and also in AC Milan for four months. So it was a weird experience, because having your father as a coach is pretty weird, and I was the captain. But he was great.”― Paolo Maldini
“My father used to give me a lot of advice.”― Paolo Maldini
“I was lucky enough to play against Maradona. He and Ronaldo, when he was at Inter Milan – they were my toughest opponents.”― Paolo Maldini
“I don’t like the idea of being a coach.”― Paolo Maldini
“My father was a coach, so there was a lot of moving around, not having a base.”― Paolo Maldini
“I did boxing for three years, and that was very nice. It’s a hard but great, great sport. I really love the training aspect of it.”― Paolo Maldini
“There’s nothing unusual about serving the same employer for 23 years.”― Paolo Maldini
“I have great respect for the Premier League, but why leave Milan? I’ve got everything I want here.”― Paolo Maldini
“My father instilled in me the need to behave correctly on and off the pitch.”― Paolo Maldini
“It’s funny that as soon as I retired from international football, Italy won the World Cup.”― Paolo Maldini
“If you only sign the players of one FIFA agent, sometimes you can make the deal, sometimes you can’t.”― Paolo Maldini
“I will not play a farewell game with the national team. I would like to thank the federation for expressing an interest. But I prefer to leave football with an official match because I am not a fan of farewell games.”― Paolo Maldini
“I think Milan lack a bit of renovation and planning for the future. Too often, they focused only on the present, particularly after the 2007 Champions League triumph.”― Paolo Maldini
“San Siro is a tricky stadium. If you have the right personality, it helps you. But if you don’t have the right personality, it can be very hard to play in San Siro.”― Paolo Maldini
“Liverpool are a team that have no fear.”― Paolo Maldini
“I like to play aggressive.”― Paolo Maldini
“I got the chance to play the sport that I love, which was football, successfully for 25 years. Life has been great for me.”― Paolo Maldini
Top 47 Booger McFarland Quotes
“I love sport, and I play to keep myself fine in the mind, because it helps there.”― Paolo Maldini
“Ahead of a semi-final, there is always the same buzz. You know you are very close to reaching the final, but there is no way you can relax because then you will be punished.”― Paolo Maldini
“Even though I am not going to coach in the future, if I had to pass on a recommendation, it would be to base your game on having a strong defence.”― Paolo Maldini
“Milan has no reservations signing veteran players and has always taken into account the image and communication factors.”― Paolo Maldini
38th of 48 Paolo Maldini Quotes
“LIVERPOOL ARE A TEAM THAT IS ESSENTIALLY VERY DEFENSIVE; CAUTION IS AT THE HEART OF THEIR GAME.”― PAOLO MALDINI
“You simply can’t judge a team’s football from the country it comes from.”― Paolo Maldini
“Once Liverpool go ahead, they are dangerous because it becomes hard to find space to break them down, especially if you are not playing all that brilliantly.”― Paolo Maldini
“In the Champions League, you can focus on a single game and play in exactly the style you need.”― Paolo Maldini
Top 26 Carlo Ancelotti Quotes
“A rookie coach must be supported by a very strong structure and not get burned.”― Paolo Maldini
“Baggio is a unique player. It should not surprise you that he gets the most press. But you must remember that it takes a full team to win.”― Paolo Maldini
“To compete with the great teams in Europe, you have to invest money. There is no other way to reach that kind of level.”― Paolo Maldini
“In the 1990s, we had seven great teams – Milan, Inter, Juventus, Parma, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina. If you look at the players, they were great players, but there was some crazy investment, and some teams went bankrupt, like Parma and Lazio.”― Paolo Maldini
“San Siro is a historic stadium. It’s nice, but it doesn’t offer comfort.”― Paolo Maldini
“I’m not working in football. Basically, I’m a father with two kids and taking some time for myself. I played for 25 years, and I believe I need some space for myself.”― Paolo Maldini
“I was fortunate enough to be with Milan for 25 splendid years. When I arrived, I found a great foundation to build a great club.”― Paolo Maldini