Source: These Football Times
By Gary Thacker
Every recognized successful team seems to have a solid backline, and the two tacitly coordinated centre-back partners are the cornerstone of success, they are the core of the backcourt, the foundation of the team, and the source of confidence for teammates.
The AC Milan team, which was active in the 1980s and 90s and swept through European football, is the best example of the validity of this argument, because the combination of centre-backs at the time – Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini – was definitely a "priceless" pair in the football world.
Maldini and Baresi are the kind of players who have always been there, and Milan's famous red and black stripe has even become their soul.
Together, the two played at least 1,621 games for the Rossoneri and won numerous awards during their careers. Maldini and Baresi are both highly experienced, able to work with each other skillfully on the pitch to complement each other's strengths; however, they look very different.
Tall, with a healthy complexion, beautiful black hair and a melancholy temperament, Maldini is a typical Italian beauty. On the green field, although he fights fiercely, he can always show the elegance of these sports to the greatest extent. Being able to play both left-back and centre-back positions, coupled with his great love for his body, has also allowed him to have a longer career at AC Milan.
Maldini the Elder played for Milan at a young age and later as the coach of the team, which also made Maldini, who was "red in the red", born with the genes of the Rossoneri, and the die-hards in the Santa Sironan stand have always regarded him as "his own man".
If Paul Maldini is likened to a "beauty", then is Franco Baresi a "beast"?
Although Italian, Baresi is short, bald, and has nothing to do with Adonis (the legendary beautiful man), but this does not seem to affect his high status in world football.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2015, Maldini emotionally recalled the gracious comrade-in-arms in front of Carragher: "He was short and thin, but his body was strong. He can jump very high. On the pitch, he set an example with his practical actions. He's not a good orator, no, no, he's not. He expresses himself through competition and training. ”
Maldini went on to explain that Baresi's achievements did not have much to do with his innate physical qualities, but rather his dedication and dedication.
"He's not like Stam, who's tall and athletic. Baresi is also fast, but he weighs only 70 kilograms. But I have to tell you one thing – when you bump into you in a scramble, you'll see for yourself how tough he really is. ”
And when Carragher asked, "How much Barresi has influenced you," Maldini respectfully gave an answer that everyone could imagine:
"For me, he was a role model," Maldini replied, "and he was a benchmark." His technique under his feet is outstanding. It can be said to be very, very outstanding. Now you're hard-pressed to find a player who is both strong and good at possession. Very difficult. ”
Maldini admitted without hesitation that "Baresi is the best defender he has ever seen in a club or a national team".
In addition to mutual recognition, the two also gave countless wonderful performances to Milan during their joint partnership and led the team into an unprecedented golden age.
Since 1977, Baresi has joined AC Milan and played for the team for 20 years. At the age of 22, his leadership qualities were recognized and he was quickly promoted to captain of Milan.
As Maldini said earlier, he is a captain who is not accustomed to shouting at his teammates, pointing fingers, and showing exaggerated movements, and his leadership style can be summed up in four words: "leading by example".
Barresi, who is highly focused and committed to the game, is an ideal defender, but his football talent is not only used for destruction.
His foot skills are quite skilled, accurate long passes can cover every corner of the court, he is good at reading the game, always able to take the initiative to insert the needle and play the tense game with ease.
Once the ball is found to be controlled at the feet of Baresi, his Milan teammates will start to run, and the whole team will enter the mode of "from defense to attack", it can be said that he is the source of the team's attack.
With the blessing of perfect professionalism and professional skills, Baresi, who is 1.76 meters tall, has become a giant on the green field and a beacon leading the team to success.
Brilliant trophies are the best recognition of Baresi's outstanding ability.
Barresi, who has lifted three European Cups, four Serie A trophies, two Toyota Cups and four Italian Super Cups, was a member of the 1982 World Cup winners. At the turn of the century, Baresi was also named the 20th Century AC Milan Club Player of the Year and the 20th Century Serie A Player of the 20th Century.
Low-key, he won the respect of everyone.
Compared to Baresi, Paul Maldini's resume is equally wonderful.
Seven Serie A titles and five UEFA Champions Cup/Champions League titles (3 of which were won with Baresi) are the envy of most professional players. Whether it was the first cup in 1989 or the fifth ascent 18 years later, Maldini was a mainstay of Milan in the conquest of Europe, which is enough to highlight how legendary and long Maldini's career is.
In addition, he has won 1 Italian Cup, 2 Toyota Cups, 1 Club World Cup and 5 Italian Super Cups.
Baresi completed his eighth year of rossoneri debut before Maldini was given his first chance to play for AC Milan's senior team.
However, his club career has lasted longer than That's – 24 years, 12 of which the two have intersected, and this period is also the heyday of AC Milan's history that is definitely worth a big book.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, AC Milan was the absolute No.1 in European football!
Whether under Sacchi or Capello, AC Milan is a super team with dominance. During this period, club president Silvio Berlusconi signed the "Dutch Three Musketeers" – Gullit, Basten and Rijkaard – giving the team the offensive firepower to destroy all opponent defences.
Having a rock-solid backline is the foundation of all success and, more proudly, a "100% Made in Italy" line.
Maldini was still the team's left-back, while Tassotti was in charge of guarding the other side of the team, and the person who co-occupied the middle with Baresi was CostaCuta. Even in serie A, which is known for its defense, this watertight defense line is rare in history.
From 1991 to 1993, the line set a record of 58 league games unbeaten, conceding only 21 goals (including an unbeaten run throughout the 1992–93 season).
In fact, in the early 1990s, how to penetrate the AC Milan defense line has become a world-class problem.
In the first four years of the 1990s, AC Milan had only 11 games in Serie A combined (136 games in total). On average, Milan suffer 1 defeat every 12 games. This shocking set of figures was enough to reflect how terrifying the Rossoneri's backline was at the time.
Although the initial position was left-back, Maldini still fully demonstrated his unusual game wisdom and serious and responsible defensive attitude. Later, his position was moved to the middle of the road, and he began to work with the captain to guard the team's middle road fortress.
There is no doubt that during his time with AC Milan with 8-year-old Baresi, Maldini has clearly "risen" again - he has absorbed all of Baresi's strengths like a sponge and armed himself.
Some joke that this is almost equivalent to hiring Einstein as a physics tutor.
Yes, in Milan's heyday, Baresi and Costacuta played more games than Baresi and Maldini, but the new pair was able to "beat quantity with quality".
Counting domestic and European matches, Baresi and Maldini have worked together as AC Milan centre-backs for a total of 196 times, and Milan have also achieved a "double harvest" of scenes and results.
When Baresi decided to retire with his boots up, he had already made 532 Appearances in Serie A, all at AC Milan. In recognition of Baresi, Milan announced the permanent retirement of the No. 6 robe he was wearing.
In 2009, when Maldini officially retired at the age of 40, his No. 3 shirt also enjoyed the same honor.
Maldini played 647 games for AC Milan in Serie A, still holding the record for the most Appearances in Serie A. In addition, Maldini is the most appearance of the club in all competitions in AC Milan's history, playing a total of 902 official matches for the Rossoneri during his playing years.
It is worth mentioning that he also played 126 games for the Italian national team.
For a team, it's a great thing to have such a good defensive core at a given time.
Having two at the same time? You should literally get down on your knees and thank the "Football God" for his special gift! Because under the care of these two chosen sons, the team is destined to achieve countless victories during this period and reach an unprecedented peak in history.
To this day, no centre-back pair is close to the benchmark set by the Beauty and the Beast pair.
Perhaps, no one will ever be able to do it.