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

#6 His relationship with Milan is THE benchmark for loyalty and respect

Maldini has known only one club

Paolo Maldini has known no football club other than Milan. His entire career was spent at the San Siro training pitches, mostly on the left side of defense, but also in the central areas for a fair share of time. It is no wonder that Maldini’s No. 3 jersey has been retired and is hung in the San Siro museum with the greatest of adulation.

Several times in his career, Maldini was involved in Milan teams which were not as good as the ones in which he began his career. If he had wanted, he could have moved to any club, anywhere in the world, but he saw Milan through all of their ups and downs of the ‘90s – from the lows of losing in Champions League finals and finishing with no silverware, to beating Barcelona 4-0 in the 1994 European Cup final.

Such loyalty from one of the very best players in the history of the game is incredibly rare, and Il Capitano is a benchmark of loyalty for all footballers.