A Unique Legacy
In football, over the years, we have seen a lot of father-son duos in the likes of Giuliano and Diego Simeone, Peter and Kasper Schmeichel, or Lilian and Marcus/Khephren Thuram, among many more. We have also seen iconic brother duos lighting up the field like Nico and Inaki Williams, Jude and Jobe Bellingham, or Kylian and Ethan Mbappe, along with other aswell. But, among all of the examples we discussed, we have seen that the footballing baton is either passed into the same generation or at max within two generations (father-son), but here today, we will talk about an anomaly in the footballing world where we see a three-generation dynasty ruling over Italian football for more than seven decades. Yes, we are talking about the iconic Maldini dynasty, which ruled over AC Milan and Italy for three generations, or for more than 70 years, truly a “Football Heritage”.
The Founding Father
Cesare Maldini is the oldest and the first person in this lineage to pursue a football career. At just 20 years old, he debuted for U.S. Triestina in 1954 and played there for two years before making his “big move” to AC Milan, where he established his legacy as one of the legends of Italian football, alongside AC Milan. He used to play as a defender, and was always a natural leader, and had won 4 Scudettos for Milan, and also led the AC Milan team as a captain to 1 UEFA European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) in 1963 at Wembley, the first in the history for AC Milan and Italian Football, bringing them into prominence in Italian Football and earning their respect among the top clubs of Italy at that time in the likes of Genoa, Juventus, Pro Vercelli, Bologna and Torino. Cesare Maldini has played 412 official matches for AC Milan. He was the first Italian captain to lift the European Cup. After retiring, he managed Italy U-21 to three consecutive European titles and coached the Italy squad at the 1998 World Cup.
L’eterno Capitano
Paolo Maldini is the second person to represent the “Maldini” heritage at the World Stage at the heart of Italian football for AC Milan when he debuted for the Rossoneris at the tender age of 16, partnering with one of football’s finest defenders and then captain of AC Milan, Franco Baresi who mentored him to become not only the best defender in AC Milan’s history but also being one of “The Best” in the history of football. He stayed a one-club man throughout his footballing career, spanning over 25 years from 1984 to 2009 and 902 official appearances, a feat that’s been etched forever in not only the club’s but also the wider football history. Paolo Maldini won 7 Serie A titles and 5 Champions League titles over his stellar career. Besides being known for his defensive skills, Paolo Maldini was the leader of the legendary early 2000s Milan team, which saw immense glory under his captaincy and earned him the title of “L’eterno Capitano” or The Eternal Captain for his leadership skills. After retirement, he served as the Technical Director of AC Milan and ended the club’s Serie A drought spanning over a decade. As of now, he is not managing any club at the executive levels, but we can hope he returns to football as soon as possible because of the sheer and shroud administrative skills he carries with himself.
The New Generation
Daniel Maldini is the third and newest member of the “Maldini” family to represent the legendary name on one of football’s biggest stages. Unlike his grandad and father, Daniel Maldini plays as an Attacker (he plays as a more natural attacking midfielder, but also plays as a winger and a striker). After developing at the Milan academy, Daniel made his Milan debut at the age of 18 and famously scored on his full Serie A debut, and was also celebrated by his father from the stands. Daniel is known for his flair, technical skills, dribbling, and creativity in the final third. Daniel won the Serie A for AC Milan in the 2021-22 season, becoming the third-generation Serie A winner from the Maldini dynasty. Though starting his senior career on a high note, he had to go through a rocky path further into his senior career, struggling for minutes, after which he left for short loan spells for Spezia, Empoli, and Monza. He later on joined Monza permanently and grew in prominence at Monza, due to which he received his senior Italian call-up, and again, he is the third generation from the Maldini family to do so. In early 2025, Daniel has now earned his high-profile move to Atalanta in early 2025, a club renowned for developing attacking talents and always competing for the Champions League spots in the Serie A season. This move marked his establishment as a top-tier Serie A player, independent of the Milan “dynasty” narrative, to grow his own “identity” and grow out of the shadows of the legacy left by his father and grandfather and build his own individual legacy.
The “Maldini is Milan” Sentiment & Evolution
While the name “Maldini” still contains the letters of “Milan,” the dynasty has evolved. The family values of professionalism and excellence remain, but Daniel’s success at Monza and now Atalanta demonstrates that the Maldini legacy can thrive beyond the San Siro. He has successfully stepped out of the immense shadow of his father and grandfather to become a protagonist in his own right.
