Diego Guido, have written a book for 66thand2ND about AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini, as he has spoken with the person concerned, who revealed some anecdotes either as a player or as a manager. Here are some excerpts of the work called "Paolo Maldini 1041" referring to the number of appearances the now technical director played throughout his career:
On Boban:
"The truth is that after Zvone was fired, I too was out.We were very direct with each other in telling each other what we didn't like about each other's ideas. Then there are football knowledge: if I know anything about players, he knows a lot. He is much better than me, I admit without any problem, at analyzing a game and a player. He saw things I didn't notice. And we complemented each other very well. He observed the midfielders and the attacking players more, I concentrated more on the defenders".
On learning the job:
"I felt unfit to accompany him (Leonardo) for the first six months. I knew so many things, I already had so many ideas. But on a practical level I had to learn a new job. I think I really started giving my input when Leo told me he was leaving.There I said to myself "what is going on now?" . I didn't feel safe having to negotiate . There are specificities of the work that I still had to deepen. Then I started having to do it myself and it became the most natural thing in the world. I figured out what to say and what not to say. How to change register based on the interlocutor, those with whom you need to speak clearly and those with whom you need to use more diplomacy. If you have always been in this world and you use common sense then these things are very easy. And it's nice to do them".
On Rangnick:
"I remember we talked about it here (in his office) him and I (Boban). I told him that I was tired, that I had to say things. And so I publicly said what felt right. The same thing he had made it later. The sense of responsibility towards the coach and towards the players I always spoke to, towards Milan, I told myself I had to get to the end of the season. At that point, with the agreement with Rangnick by now made, I would have left. But then things changed and now I'm here".
On discovering players:
"It gives me great satisfaction to follow a player, to choose him, to be able to bring him here and see that he plays well. With young people, perhaps who also come from other countries, the variables are really many. Succeeding is very nice. Many young players arrived from the first team or the Primavera. And with them you not only meet the boy and the agent, but also the mother, the father, the brothers. Parents ask me to take care of their children. I reply that I am a father too, that we will look after their children and that they are always welcome. On a human level, I believe I am inclined to pass on certain things to children and their families".
On his work:
"I like to do my job following my principles, without being influenced by the moment, by any low budget available, by any downturn in team results ".
On market choices:
"It's not always possible to reach an agreement. Sometimes you have to leave certain players you wanted to bet a lot on and face this in a balanced way. Balance is good for me and good for them, because then the relationship remains. As always, the important things are respect and honesty. When you are honest what can they reproach you for? That you didn't buy Messi? I never told you I had the means to do it".
On his ideas:
"If I think about my ideas when I arrived, sports ideas I mean, and what I have now, the world has changed. I have completely different visions. I have changed them also thanks to internal conflicts with ownership, comparisons with ideas different from mine, with people different from me. I have experienced results that I would not have expected so negative or so positive. I had certainties that I had to question and change. Now my vision is different, but probably if you will ask in two years it will still be different".
