7 reasons why Paolo Maldini is the greatest defender of all time

#3 His colleagues hold him in the highest esteem

Even Ronaldinho was stunned by his abilities as a defender

Through the course of his career, Maldini has faced some of the most dangerous strikers, wingers and attacking midfielders to ever ply their trade in Europe. A fully in-form Ronaldo, who played for Inter during Maldini’s best years, was emphatically shut out by Maldini and Nesta during their Milan derbies.

Even Ronaldinho remarked this when asked his opinion on who his toughest opponents were – “Paolo Maldini and John Terry are the two toughest men I have ever met on the football field.”

He is not alone in his adulation for the man. Many of his other opponents have acknowledged Maldini as the best defender they ever faced back in their day – he is one of the few players to ever hold his own while marking Ronaldo Nazario in those epic Milan derbies of the late 1990s.