Cesare Maldini facts for kids
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Maldini in 1969
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Cesare Maldini | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 February 1932 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Trieste, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 3 April 2016 (aged 84) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Milan, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950–1952 | Triestina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1952–1954 | Triestina | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–1966 | AC Milan | 347 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1967 | Torino | 33 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 412 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1963 | Italy | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1972 | AC Milan (assistant manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1974 | AC Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | Foggia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Ternana | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | Parma | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1986 | Italy (assistant manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1996 | Italy U21 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | AC Milan (interim) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Paraguay | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Cesare Maldini (born 5 February 1932 – died 3 April 2016) was a famous Italian football player and manager. He played as a defender.
Cesare Maldini is the father of Paolo Maldini, another legendary footballer. He is also the grandfather of Daniel Maldini. Cesare started his career with Triestina. Later, he moved to AC Milan in 1954. He became captain of AC Milan and helped them win four Serie A titles. He also led them to win their first European Cup. He played for AC Milan for twelve seasons. After that, he played one season with Torino before retiring in 1967.
Cesare Maldini also played for the Italian national team. He played 14 games for Italy. He was also the captain for both AC Milan and the Italian national team.
As a manager, he coached AC Milan twice. He also managed other Italian teams like Foggia, Ternana, and Parma. He was very successful with the Italian Under-21 team. He won the European Under-21 Championship three times in a row. Later, he coached the senior Italian team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He also managed the Paraguay national football team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Cesare Maldini was born in Trieste, Italy. His father was a sailor. In 1962, he married Maria Luisa. They had six children together.
One of his sons, Paolo Maldini, became a very successful football player too. Paolo also played as a defender for AC Milan. He became captain of Milan and won the UEFA Champions League five times. Cesare's grandsons, Christian and Daniel, also played football in the AC Milan youth teams. This makes the Maldini family a famous football family!
Playing Career Highlights
Cesare Maldini started playing for Triestina in 1952. He played his first Serie A game in 1953. After two seasons, he joined AC Milan in 1954.
At AC Milan, he became a very important player. He won his first league title in his very first season with the team. He played 347 league games for Milan. In total, he played 412 games for the club. Maldini won four league titles with Milan. He became the team's captain in 1961.
In 1963, he led AC Milan to win their first ever European Cup. They beat Benfica 2–1 in the final. This made Milan the first Italian team to win this important trophy. Cesare Maldini was the first Italian captain to lift the cup. He left Milan in 1966. He then played one season for Torino before retiring in 1967.
International Football for Italy
Cesare Maldini played 14 games for the Italy national football team between 1960 and 1963. He was also the captain of the national team. He played in the 1962 FIFA World Cup. Italy did not do well in that tournament. However, Cesare Maldini was still chosen for the team of the tournament because of his good performances.
Cesare Maldini's Playing Style
Cesare Maldini was known as a strong and elegant defender. He was good at heading the ball. He was also very good at reading the game. This meant he could guess what the other team would do. He was known for his leadership and always playing well. He was also very disciplined. He only received five yellow cards and was sent off once in his whole career.
He could play in different defensive positions. He was usually a central defender. Sometimes, he would play as a sweeper. This was a defender who played behind the main defensive line. He could also play as a full-back on the side of the field. Sometimes, he even played as a defensive midfielder. This was because he was good at moving the ball forward.
Managerial Career
Early Coaching Days
After he stopped playing, Maldini became a coach. He started as an assistant manager for AC Milan in 1970. He then coached the team himself from 1972 to 1974. In 1973, he led Milan to win the Coppa Italia and the Cup Winners' Cup. This was a great achievement. He later coached other Italian teams like Foggia, Ternana, and Parma. He helped Parma get promoted to Serie B.
From 1980 to 1986, he was an assistant coach for the Italian national team. He helped them win the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.
Success with Italy's Under-21 Team
In 1986, Maldini became the coach of the Italian Under-21 team. He coached them for ten years. He was very successful. He won the European Under-21 Football Championship three times in a row. This was a record!
Many players who became famous later said Maldini helped them a lot. Players like Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, and Francesco Totti were in his 1996 Under-21 winning team. They later won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy. He also coached the Italian Olympic teams in 1992 and 1996.
Coaching Italy in the 1998 World Cup
After his success with the Under-21 team, Maldini became the coach of the senior Italian team in 1996. He helped Italy qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup without losing a game. His son, Paolo Maldini, was the captain of this team.
At the World Cup, Italy played well in their group. They drew with Chile and beat Cameroon and Austria. In the next round, they beat Norway. They then played against the host country, France, in the quarter-finals. The game ended in a draw. Italy lost on penalties and were out of the tournament. France went on to win the World Cup.
After the tournament, Maldini resigned. Some people thought his tactics were too defensive.
Return to Milan and Paraguay
In 2001, Maldini briefly returned to coach AC Milan. He was an interim manager. His son, Paolo, was the captain of the team at this time. He led Milan to a famous 6–0 victory over their rivals Inter. This was a huge win for Milan.
In 2002, Maldini became the coach of Paraguay. He led them in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. At 70 years old, he was the oldest coach at the World Cup at that time. Paraguay made it to the Round of 16. They were then knocked out by Germany.
Coaching Style
As a manager, Maldini was known for his careful and traditional approach. He liked to build his teams with a very strong defence. He often used a system with a "sweeper" defender. His teams were known for being very solid in defence. They would often try to score goals by counter-attacking quickly.
Life After Coaching
After the 2002 World Cup, Maldini worked as a talent scout for AC Milan. He also worked as a sports analyst for different TV and radio channels.
Death and Legacy
Cesare Maldini passed away on 3 April 2016, at the age of 84. To honor him, a minute of silence was held before all league games in Italy that weekend. AC Milan players wore black armbands. His funeral was held in Milan and many important football figures attended. His wife passed away later that same year.
Cesare Maldini is remembered as a great player and manager. He was a true legend of Italian football.
Honours
Player
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1961–62
- European Cup: 1962–63
- Latin Cup: 1956
Individual
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1962
- World Soccer World XI: 1963
- Panchina d'Oro Career Award: 1996
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2016
Manager
AC Milan
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1972–73
- Coppa Italia: 1972–73
Italy U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship: 1992, 1994, 1996
See also
In Spanish: Cesare Maldini para niños
