Zvonimir Boban has suggested that the idea of his friend and former team-mate Paolo Maldini returning to AC Milan should not be ruled out.
Maldini was sacked alongside sporting director Ricky Massara at the end of the 2022-23 season, a decision which is still debated to this day. The ex-captain has chosen to stay quiet about his exit generally, though the story has been told by some others.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
During the first part of a podcast with Andrea Longoni, Boban had spoken about the decision to sack Paolo Maldini and why it was handled in a ‘shameful’ way, something which fed into his concerns about the club’s American ownership.
Today, the second part of the interview was published on Longoni’s YouTube channel ‘Milan Hello’ and he was asked about whether he still talks to Maldini. Naturally, the topic of a potential return came up.
Do you ever speak with Maldini about what’s happening at Milan?
“We talk, yes. He suffers, I know he suffers. It’s hard. But obviously he always remains very, very attached to Milan, he was born as a true Milanista. I became there, you who were born there is a whole other thing and I realise this because I have been with Dinamo Zagreb since day one.
“Even though I love and respect Milan so much, the symbols and flags are different. Paolo feels all this, he has given his whole life for Milan. The other day I told him that in the end he has to be happy, at the end of the day, whether he comes back or not – who knows, he wouldn’t mind a little (smiles).
“The years come for everyone but he would still be quite fresh – he has completed his story at Milan. As a player we don’t talk about it, but now also as a director. And now people have recognised it but at the beginning it was a disaster. For him, for me, for everyone.”
Were you already following me when I spoke about the possibility of a return with the Saudi Arabia?
“You weren’t that important at the time but I saw some videos… I don’t remember very well.”
Will Paolo return? It’s the fans’ dream…
“We talked before, he would always be ready to give himself back to Milan in the most absolute way as he always did as a player or as a manager. If it will happen I don’t know, I have no idea. I have no idea.
“Honestly if he had told me something like that I wouldn’t have revealed it to you here. But it doesn’t seem to me that there are any situations… now.”
Zvonimir Boban, Mirabelli 2.0 the gift that keeps on giving keeps talking.
Why the media never brings up to him resume as a Milan manager/director when he goes on these rants because he is mad Milan kicked him out.
Hired in 2019 to be a chief football officer, Maldini’s boss.
Took over a team from Leonardo that finished 5th, 1 point from the 3rd place, with Gattuso as a coach.
Hired the professor Giampaolo as a coach and spent over a 100 mil that summer on new players.
Fired the professor Giampaolo 7 games into the season.
Got embarrassed a day before Christmas 5-0 by Atalanta, with Gasperini dancing on the sidelines, worst Milan defeat in over 20 years. Milan was 11th on the table, with 21 points from 17 games. Great success!
Asked for even more money to spend that January.
Gazidis realized that he has hired an incompetent fool and start looking for competent people to replace Boban, something that Boban called ambush.
Ran his mouth to the media, the only thing he is known to do since he stopped playing football and got fired.
When he got fired Milan was behind Verona on the table, with 36 points from 26 games. Juventus and Lazio had 63 and 62 points at that point of the season. Great success!
With what credibility he goes on TV or give interviews with that resume behind him and criticizes others?
Anyone, and I mean anyone out there can talk, criticize Milan current incompetent management, act like they know football, but not Boban. Even Mirabelli did better than Boban.
And he will continue talking because no one in the media will tell him the truth about himself. Why would they? They get the clicks and the views.
As long Boban doesn’t come back to Milan in any shape or form anyone else can come back.
That isn’t even true. Boban got fired when Milans form was peaking because he was backing Pioli and speaking against hiring Ragnick. Which was proven to be the correct call since, as we all know, Milan eventually won the Scudetto with that same Pioli.
Also Boban worked in FIFA and UEFA with a great reputation and credibility in each. You know nothing.
Do you know the state Milan was before they started? There’s no great teams build within a year.
This sounds like something an Inter fan would say while pretending to be a Milan supporter — it just shows how little you actually understand about Milan.
cmon bring him back
FORZA MILAN !!
Maldini with Arabs behind. A matter of time🍿
Oh no Ted, the arabs are sports washing their crimes.
This does not apply to current owners nation who are supporting genocide in Gaza.
It’s more likely these owners will move the franchise to another country.
Redturd out. The most incompetent, arrogant, stupid bunch of people to darken our door.
Classless cheeseburgers
Is it SJF or SJW? Either way it’s all ignorant all the time.
You either have a very bad memory or have only been a fan for very few years.
How about the almost decade before Elliott took over where Milan won NOTHING. No Scudetto in 10 years, no Champions League play for more than 5 years. It’s so convenient how all of you like to skip over that period like it never happened. As if Milan were winning trophies every year before the evil Americans took over. Nice fantasy you live in.
Just thank the Americans for dragging this club out of massive debt while delivering the club it’s first Scudetto in 10 years, 4 straight years of Champions League play including a semi-final appearance, and just maybe 2 more trophies this year. Just the worst.
Hey look, It’s the same article as yesterday and about 1000 other times. Great work.
Oh to work at Sempre milan…
Copy and Paste the same Maldini article everyday. Throw in a Tonali article once a week for all the sentimental Italians.
Try to convince people that the club wants Conte when nobody does.
If there is no news on the coaching or sporting director front just make stuff up, create rumors, speculation.
Quality journalism.
Bye
Don’t bother, it’s hard for Gerryboys to cope with the truth Boban told about these hee-haw clowns runing the circus. So denial is only one of their defense mechanisms.
You always know that KKK and Zzzzz 😴 will comment along together in such articles as they share one brain for two.
Again Ted with more nonsense that has nothing to do with what anyone is talking about.
What exactly am I denying?
Or maybe you are just too stupid to realize that you are reading the same article over and over again everyday.
Well, maybe you have Alzheimers and just don’t remember that you keep reading the same articles every day. In that case I apologize.
“If there is no news on the coaching or sporting director front just make stuff up, create rumors, speculation.”
You clown wrote this under a report from an actual interview. You do not distinguish between rumors and reports from an actual interview.
Apology accepted.
Yes Ted, an interview with a guy who has nothing to do with the club or any decision making going on at the club about who they may or may not hire. They may as well ask you. It’s pointless speculation.
Guys I’m running out of popcorn 🍿🍿🍿🤭
Maldini with an Arab Consortium behind him would be the dream for Milan ✨
Does not matter whoever we hire as a SD, if we look at historically great teams in Italy, Milan in 80s, 90s,00s, Juventus during their record breaking scudetto season, Inter Milan now have a good bunch of Italian players within the core team. Unless Milan can create it, we’ll be a hit and miss.