- Henry and Maldini spoke before UCL semi-final
- Winger heaped praise onto iconic defender
- Italian watched Rossoneri lose to Inter
WHAT HAPPENED? Before a mammoth clash in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Milan and Inter, French footballing royalty Henry along with the other pundits in the studio with CBS Sports enjoyed a conversation with Italian football legend Maldini, who now serves as Milan's technical director. The two greats enjoyed an entertaining exchange.
WHAT THEY SAID: "We played against each other in '98," recalled Henry, adding: "When I realised I was coming on - and playing on the right - I suddenly got scared because of what you represented, the defender that you were.
"For me, you epitomise what defending is about, and the human being is even better than the player if that can be possible," Henry continued, heaping praise on the one-club man, also claiming that he brought a 'winning mentality' to Milan.
He finished by saying: “I just want to tell you that you used to scare me."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Henry was referring to the 1998 World Cup quarter-finals, where Les Bleus advanced to the last four in their home tournament after beating Italy on penalties, following a goalless draw after 120 minutes.
Henry and Maldini briefly played in the same division when the Frenchman spent half a season in Turin with Juventus, before moving to Arsenal in the summer of 1999. Having spent his entire playing career with Milan, winning seven Scudetti and five Champions League titles, Maldini now serves as the club's technical director.
WHAT NEXT? His side will have to put together a huge performance in the second leg at the San Siro if they wish to reach the Champions League final, with a poor defensive display resulting in Inter winning 2-0 in the first leg of the semi-final.
