Ever since he left as a player, AC Milan have wanted Paolo Maldini back at the club. Since he left the second time, those wishes have grown in volume.
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For a player like Maldini, he will always have a home at Milan. The impact he had on the pitch is unwritable and those same players rarely have such an impact off of it too, but Maldini transcended those ideas.
Indeed, under his guidance, the Rossoneri won the Scudetto in 2022 and reached a Champions League semi-final in the year after. However, he was still sacked by RedBird. A decision which went tragically at the time and has only gotten worse since.
The reality is, without Maldini, Milan have gotten worse. So, the dream is that he returns to the club.
Leonardo calls for Maldini’s return
Speaking to Cronache di spogliatoio, Leonardo commented about the former player and director’s ‘need’ to be with the Diavolo, as relayed by MilanNews.
“The role of the sporting director has changed. Many teams no longer have a sporting director who has any influence. He does certain things, let’s say the general work, but there’s something very influential: algorithms, right?
“I have nothing against algorithms, but I’ve always thought they supported the decision-making process, not the other way around. This, in my opinion, is very important.
“If you have Paolo Maldini at Milan, I don’t know what algorithm can tell me it’s better not to have him. How much does it hurt not to see him at Milan? But not me, it hurts everyone. Paolo is a figure who, in my opinion, should be in the world of football.
“And it’s not because I’m biased; I think such complete figures, because Paolo has matured over time, having successfully managed his team at the highest levels, where he spent 30 years of his life. So there’s no such figure. So it hurts me, of course it hurts me.
“Could Maldini be useful to Italian football in general and not just AC Milan? I’m sure he has a lot to contribute . We have a very political, complex, and archaic structure, which sometimes even prevents this from happening.
“I’m also thinking of Paolo, because one has to feel this strongly within, and he feels it. What’s needed, beyond ideas, competence, talent, and desire, is something that inspires, that makes people believe.
“You say: this is something great to follow. It’s difficult to find a figure—not just focusing on one person, it’s not just that, but it’s difficult to find a figure who is capable of unanimously conveying this idea.”