RADIO COVERAGE LIVE FROM UDINE
Celebration
Cesare Maldini was in the car listening to the famous “Tutto il calcio minuto per minute” live radio show. Despite a close bond with his former teammate Nils Liedholm, the pair being friends for life after their time spent at AC Milan together, the Rossoneri Head Coach at the time hadn’t told him a thing.
He hadn’t dropped even the slightest of hints that his son Paolo might have made his debut in Udine. For AC Milan. In the First Team. But that's exactly what happened. Cesare wasn’t mistaken, the radio was telling the truth: after the break, with Udinese leading 1-0, his son Paolo Maldini stepped onto the pitch to replace Sergio Battistini.
It was 20 January 1985, exactly 35 years ago today. Paolo’s entrance, AC Milan’s draw at full-time. A magical pitch? Well it was a place where all this happened, far away from San Siro. February 1996: Udinese 0-2 AC Milan, a goal from Paolo. May 1997: Udinese 1-1 AC Milan, Paolo scores again. That takes us to April 1999: Udinese 1-5 AC Milan and the first Rossoneri Scudetto won with Paolo as captain.
Udine and Udinese. Almost 35 years later it was Maldini out on the pitch at San Siro, together with Boban, giving the warmest of congratulations to the boys after a thrilling 3-2 win. 35 years earlier, he was busy flying into challenges, enjoying the excitement of his first experiences in Rossoneri colours. Of course all of that happened in Udine, and we’re sure that Papa Cesare remembers this well from up above.
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