Editorial

Calcio Debate: Will Paolo Maldini’s Longevity Ever Be Matched?

As Goal.com continues to honour the Milan captain, Adam Scime wonders if anyone will be able to match his remarkable endurance...

May 29, 2009 12:30:23 PM

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Paolo Maldini - AC Milan

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Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini is set to end his legendary playing career this weekend against Fiorentina - the current Rossoneri and ex-Italy captain will finally leave us after 24-and-a-half years in football.

As he prepares to hang up his boots, one cannot help but be in awe at the sheer consistency and durability he has shown during that time. Being a first-choice at the age of 17 is extraordinary, but perhaps the bigger accolade is that he has maintained that status until the age of nearly 41. None of Italy’s other favourite sons, even Roberto Baggio, can boast of such a thing.

The veteran holds the record for most appearances in Serie A with 646, more than 50 above his closest rival, retired former Inter and Sampdoria goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca. The active player closest to Maldini is his Rossoneri team-mate Giuseppe Favalli, a mere 177 matches behind.

The player was also a key member of the Italian national team for 14 years, racking up 126 caps, although it is likely current Azzurri captain Fabio Cannavaro will surpass that number this summer in the Confederations Cup. Still, it is not simply that Maldini played for so long, but that he did so with remarkable consistency.

In all competitions, the Euro 2000 finalist has made 901 club appearances. Excluding his debut season (in which he made just one outing as a 16-year-old), Paolo has averaged over 37 games in every campaign. Restricted to just Serie A, he still maintains a norm of just under 27 appearances per Calcio annum.

The Milan-born star has won seven Scudetti, five Supercoppa Italianas, five European Cups/Champions Leagues, five UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, a FIFA World Club Cup, and a Coppa Italia. That’s 26 trophies, certainly he must have a rather large cabinet to keep them in by now.

The simple fact is that, in terms of football records in Italy, no one has been able to match Maldini’s exploits in the past and it is highly unlikely anyone will match his ability to perform for such a prolonged period of time in the future.

Another positive aspect is that Maldini is the class-act of class-acts, he does not show the petulance of players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo, nor the inconsistency of someone like Alessandro Del Piero.

There is the idea of the ‘modern footballer,’ but it can be argued that Maldini is a player who defies time. At the age of 17 or 40, he was a key figure for his side, be it in 1985 or 2009.

There’s a saying that goes "in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." What makes Maldini so special is that he can boast about both parts of that statement - his career was both extensive and fruitful.

Will Maldini’s career ever be matched? Are there any players currently playing who can do it? How will he be remembered? Should his incredible consistency be honoured? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think?

Adam Scime, Goal.com

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