There are many things that can be remembered from Paolo Maldini, one of which is his legend which is covered in controversies. A few days after deciding to hang up his boots, Maldini received a letter from Carles Puyol. The point is a letter of praise. He said he grew up watching Maldini play football. He admired how Maldini kept playing with tactical discipline. But above all, Maldini’s way of living football is what he admires the most. For him, Maldini is a clear example that a defender does not need to act violent to be great. He just needs to prevent the opponent from scoring goals in a dignified manner.
Carles Puyol is an adage that maturity is not always followed by the loss of an idol. Perhaps, he grew up dreaming of becoming a Maldini. Puyol can idolize Maldini in such a way. He can try his best to become a Maldini at Barcelona. But I thought, maybe Maldini also dreams of being like Puyol.
Puyol has never been accused of being a brash footballer, who forgets the people who made him rich. Puyol’s farewell match was solemn. No other players’ giant costumes were flown throughout the farewell match. Puyol does not have to compete with Barcelona’s ‘Baresi-Baresi’.
For Milan, Maldini is a legend who has become a controversy. The Curva Sud Milano doesn’t like it. Maldini was labeled arrogant and disobedient by those who felt that this club had made it rich.
The climax did occur on May 24, 2009. This match against Roma was not only the 900th match for Maldini, this was the last time Maldini played for Milan at the San Siro. This farewell match should be sweet, especially since Maldini is not just four or five years playing at Milan. He was there for 24 years. Almost a quarter of a century, without even moving to another team – not to mention the addition of 7 years with the youth team. It shouldn’t be just Andrea Pirlo crying out loud, not just Roma players wearing T-shirts that read “Thank you, Paolo”. Supposedly, what fluttered majestically from the south stand was not the giant costume of Franco Baresi, it should have been Paolo Maldini’s day.
But what can I do, Maldini is not bigger than Baresi. For the group of ultras, Milan only has one captain. And his name is Franco Baresi.
It is said that the action against the Curva Sud originated from the famous story of Istanbul in 2005. Reportedly before the match, the Curva Sud sold the remaining quota of their tickets to Liverpool supporters at a much higher price. Maldini was angry, the remaining tickets should have been sold to Milanisti at the actual price. To him, the Curva Sud was just a bunch of mercenaries wearing the shroud of ultras. For that reason, he refused to apologize to them when approached by several members of the Curva Sud at Malpensa airport after the match which forced Milan to give up the Champions League title to Liverpool.
Their feud continued until 2007. Maldini who at that time again led Milan to the 2007 Champions League finals chose not to interfere when this ultras group had problems with the police in Athens. Curva Sud, who felt that they should be defended to death by the club, including the players, were disappointed, as a result they boycotted the Milan-Sevilla match in the European Super Cup and did not attend a number of matches during the 2007-2008 season.
Long before these two incidents occurred, Maldini and Curva Sud had indeed not gotten along. Around the 1997-1998 season, when Maldini had only been serving as captain for 6 months, Curva Sud unfurled a banner that read “Less Hollywood and More Hard Work” on in front of his house. To note, Hollywood is the name of a nightclub in Milan. Maldini and his friends often have fun there. I was wondering – maybe, his career as an amateur DJ also started from his fun at nightclubs, just like his first meeting with Adriana Fossa, a Venezuelan model who later became his wife.
Maldini can embrace big names, he can lead hundreds of Milan matches, he is rightfully the first person to lift a trophy when his team wins any competition. But in the eyes of those who have a strong bargaining position at the club, Maldini is just a subject of ridicule. No matter how good Maldini’s football is, it doesn’t matter how many matches he played for Milan – to note that Maldini’s total appearance in Milan was 902 times, while Baresi was 719 times – Maldini will never win against Baresi.
In front of all the management circles of the club, the line of ultras were strong people. They have a bargaining position that is not kidding, through ticket sales and merchandise, they make Milan’s coffers full. Galliani may send a letter to Maldini regarding their regret for the ultras treatment. But aren’t pleasantries part of the job of management?
No matter how deep the management regrets, no matter how touching the letter was, Maldini was never part of the club. Look who is in the management chair, Paolo Maldini’s name is not there. It’s a natural thing, because entering him who was rejected by the club’s strong people into the management ranks is tantamount to disaster.
For what happened to Maldini, I was reminded of one of the short stories by Jorge Luis Borges entitled “The Circular Ruins”. It tells the story of a magician who in his dream tries to bring the ideal human figure to life that he has always dreamed of. After embodying the ideal man, he sent him to a kind of circular ruin – somewhat resembling the ruins of a temple – in the southern hemisphere. But coincided with the sound of the gong in the middle of the night he woke up from his sleep and realized that in fact his existence was also dreamed of by other people.
I don’t know how many footballers idolize Maldini. I also don’t understand how many kids are determined to become footballers after watching Maldini prevent his opponents from scoring goals. Presumably, this realm has a lot of Puyol – those who try to live up to their Maldini dreams through the way they play football. But just as the wizard in Borges’ story wakes up to the sound of a thump, the controversy that surround Maldini’s legend may also wake them up and make them dare to speculate; maybe Maldini also repeatedly dreamed of being like them. Dreaming of becoming a legend without being controversial figure.
ASL
