He Who Is Never Gone

Exactly three years ago, on June 26 2009, Captain Paolo Maldini had already said goodbye to Milan for good when he turned 41, and I wrote my first PM3 birthday thread. And let's be honest, I was so worried I might not have a good idea for a thread come 2010. Hell son, I wasn't even cocksure whether the legend will carry on or not.

This, however, would be the fourth edition.

How much have we really changed since then? Captain Paolo's birthday comes 17 days after mine, so they are so close I can consider them one. Then, let me put it another way, WHAT has changed in me, Milan and "The Man"?

Me? To say I have had quite a few revolutions in me is more or less an understatement. Never has a three-year period been so eventful, literally so full of ups and downs. 2011 was such a weird year and I've seen some real strange things happen before.
maybe I've gotten old too, eh?

For Milan, well, Milan has truly been turned upside down. One might say so drastically we can't take it properly.

In 2008-09 our formation was like this: Dida, Maldini (C), Favalli, Zambrotta, Jankulovsky, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaka, Pato, Inzaghi.

Now, honestly, how many have kept their places? Probably no one, if you consider that Ambrosini isn't counted on as the starter and Pato hasn't exactly played since mid 2009-10.

So, we are another team, a new one. In spite of the fact that we are significantly younger, It's difficult to say whether we are better or worse, but one thing is certain: We are less shiny and less Rossonero than we used to be back then.

The Lion, our fiery Gattuso is gone.
The ultimate Regista i.e. Pirlo is gone.
Mr. big game i.e. Seedorf is gone.
2003 Ass-saver i.e. Dida is gone.
The golden boy, the match-winner i.e. Kaka is gone.

And then, most important of all, the heart and soul, the embodiment of everything that was good and beautiful about our Milan, our eternal skipper, Paolo Maldini is gone... Or is he really?

Paolo was in everybody's amazement, the perfect man and all we ever wanted. A man others could only wish for. And by others I mean everybody else in world Football.

Never has any player ever been so consistent and so consistently awe-inspiring during his career.
What he did was more than your ordinary Football great. If we were allowed to label one and only one Football player as a legend, then the choice wouldn't be too hard to see.

He was to Football what great men like Gandhi were to the whole world, probably the last Footballer on earth whose presence inexplicably urged others to rise to his feet, one who took everything he took on to another level, a higher one, an unreachable one.

Our Milan hasn't so far and surely will never look the same, will it?

Good for those who saw Van Basten play, I didn't. I also didn't see Baresi much.

But boy am I happy with what I did see. Out of luck, I saw the real deal! What more could I possibly ask?


It's hard in today's fast-and-furious Football world to claim that a certain 44-year-old gentleman was playing for us only three years ago and get away with it.
The regular fan might say, "Three years ago? Can you count in English? You definitely mean thirteen, kiddo."
"No" I'd reply, "no man, I don't mean thirteen. I mean three. Look: One, two, T H R E E!"

And isn't it the same sacred number which would only be worn by Maldini family? In a few years by Christian, then his son, after that I won't be alive to see, I think.

Alright, back to the topic.

Happy birthday Cap'n. Happy 44th birthday, of which you spent 32 years representing your, 'our' to be more accurate, beloved Rossonero jersey.

How damn short life is, right Cap'n? That day when you lifted the 2007 Champions League trophy, I was 16, you were 38.
Now we're both six years older. And hell, there's no stopping time.

You have always been such a good friend to me. Believe me.
Well, a special sort of friend, one I have yet to meet in person, but I guess tens of dreams I've had about you add up to make up for that little bureaucratic problem, huh? In fact, who cares, right!? You are you, and for me, you will always be the best.

When I'm an old, short-tempered recluse and my son's son's son one day asks me, "Grand Grand pa? Did you see Messi? Was he like for real?"
"Who cares about that little guy you little brat" I'd say, "I saw Paolo Maldini! Look at this pic. No, wait, let's take a look at the jersey I bought 60 years ago, in 2009 instead. On its top-left it says: Solo Per Te...".


So, what's to come?
Forget it.

Come what may, I love Milan till my dying day.

LEGEND.

Happy Birthday to an absolute Titan, he is above legendary status. He is a god

First of all . The least i can do is congratulate you Iras for that wonderfull reading.
Thanks buddy.

Happy birthday Maldini . No greater man or player has ever worn the Rossonero shirt than Paolo and this is the ultimate praise i can give him.

He was always the undisputed leader , the best teammate , the best athlete and an example for the best of proffesionals , he was the definition of what it means or what it takes to be a Milanista . He was a man of sportsmanship and a fu****g lion on the pitch .

Happy birthday to the greatest Milan player of all times .

** And let's see how much longer will take for the idiots in Via Turatti to offer him work in the club .

One cannot truly put into words what Maldini meant for us Milanisti, but I gotta say Iras -- You came damn well close.

The ultimate leader, the best defender I've ever seen, the ageless phenomenon, why make up names when we can just give him the best title in the world of football?

He was Paolo Maldini.

Happy birthday Capitano!

Happy Birthday Il Capitano! There is simply not enough bows for Maldini

my girl friends birthday is the same day..

Happy Birthday to the best.