Johnny Phillips: A family affair as Daniel dons famous Azzurri blue

Daniel Maldini became the third generation of his family to play for the Azzurri when he came onto the field with 16 minutes remaining of the Italians’ 4-1 victory.

Father Paolo, who was in the stands watching the game, won an incredible 126 caps for Italy. And Daniel’s grandfather, Cesare, also played 14 times for his country.

It added to the club football achievement for the final family, too. Daniel once played for AC Milan, like his father and grandfather.

This was the first time a grandfather, father and son have all played for the Italian national team.

That is some legacy for an incredible sporting family.

Cesare was the son of a sailor and grew up in the port city of Trieste in the north-east of the country.

After coming through the ranks at his hometown club, he transferred to Milan in 1954, going on to make over 400 appearances for the Serie A giants in all competitions over a 12-year career with the club.

Cesare won four league titles in Milan, but his most notable achievement came when he captained the side to its first European Cup triumph in 1963, with a 2-1 win over Benfica at Wembley.

At international level Cesare was also named in the 1962 World Cup team of the tournament, despite Italy’s early elimination after the infamous Battle of Santiago: a 2-0 defeat to hosts Chile when two players were sent off and police entered the pitch on four separate occasions to break up scuffles between the two teams.

He was widely considered one of the greatest defenders of his generation, regarded for his leadership, consistency and character. Throughout his 15-year senior career, Cesare received just five yellow cards and was sent off only once.

A career in management followed. He was assistant manager to Enzo Bearzot when Italy won the 1982 World Cup, and also had spells in full charge of Milan and the national team.

Paolo made his Milan debut 30 years after his father, in 1984. Having been with the club since the age of 10, he went on to become arguably the finest defender in the club’s history.

Certainly his longevity has no peers, and his 25-year senior career with the Rossoneri will surely never be surpassed. It began as a teenager and ended as a 41-year-old.

Paolo won seven Serie A titles and five European Cups, alongside a host of other domestic and European trophies during his 902-match club career with Milan.

Initially a full-back – equally at home on the left or right – he later moved into a more central defensive role.

He formed part of one of club football’s greatest ever defensive lines, alongside Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti.

The four men also played together for their country. In the 1993-94 season the quartet achieved a football nirvana in defence. Milan won the Scudetto, conceding only 15 goals in the process.

With Costacurta and Baresi suspended, Milan followed up the league title with a 4-0 Champions League rout against Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona, with a makeshift defence nullifying the Catalans’ heralded strike force of Romario and Hristo Stoichkov.

A few weeks later the four men were part of the squad that took Italy to the World Cup final in the USA, with only Baresi and Maldini playing in the final against Brazil. The match ended in a 0-0 draw before the South Americans won on penalties.

The closest Paolo came to honours with the national side came in that World Cup final and also a European Championship runners-up place in 2000, after defeat to France.

Nicknamed Il Capitano during his club and international football career, he captained Italy on 75 occasions.

“Maldini was the best and toughest defender I ever faced,” remarked Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “He had everything: he was a complete defender, who was strong, intelligent, and an excellent man-marker.”

It is perhaps surprising, then, that Paolo’s son Daniel has broken the Maldini mould and forged a path as a creative midfielder.

His early days were indeed spent at the back, but it soon became apparent that he was more at home further forward on the pitch, where he has established a reputation as a playmaker.

With such a stellar heritage, Daniel’s career is worth keeping an eye on.

He was on the fringes of the first team when Milan won the Scudetto in 2020-21 and it has taken a while for him to earn a full Italian call-up.

But his move to Monza this summer appears to have paid off. Now, he has made history as part of the incredible Maldini dynasty.