Legendary AC Milan defender and now club director Paolo Maldini has spoken on the importance of the Derby della Madonnina ahead of this weekend’s first of the season.
“It is always a great thrill, but I must say that, thank God, the importance of this derby is not greater than the importance of winning something in the season,” he said in an interview with Milan TV.
“In other cities the derby is even more important because the two teams have never reached even higher goals than a single match.”
He then spoke of his personal Milan derby experiences.
“I played a lot of them, I think more than fifty. They were all a bit different. The first ones I may not have played my best, because the tension, at 16, 17, 18 years old, is difficult to manage – more difficult than those I played at 35 or 36.
“In all these derbies there were various emotions, perhaps the most exciting of all were those of the Champions League: winning a semi-final played in six days, round trip, qualify for the final and then win the cup. In the end it is the result that counts, probably the most intense ones.”
