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On Sunday he passed the captain of AC Milan, Paolo Maldini, in his nine hundred and first Game for the Rossoneri from his audience and his stadium. Maldini was eight times for his club in the finals of the European Cup or the UEFA Champions League, five times he was able to press the most important trophy in European football in the air. Seven Italian championships, five European Super Cup. two World Cups, five Italian Super Cup and a cup final mark the 25 seasons that he went through with AC Milan. Much has changed since 1985, when he for the first time for the same team as his father Cesare Maldini aground: Christian Klar and Brigitte Mohnhaupt were then sentenced, Bangemann will succeed Genscher, Federal Chairman of the FDP, sunk by the French secret service, the Greenpeace ship " Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour and a satellite is the first time on the air. And Paolo Maldini is still playing football, next Sunday for the last time as the successor of Franco Baresi captain.

It should have been a special day. At 30 degrees in the shadows filled the San Siro stadium long before the game begins, Panini gave away a special edition of the sticker album with all 24 images Maldini, 70,000 white Maldini scarves ensured prior to the start of a spine-tingling atmosphere, dozens of hand-painted banners bore witness to the importance of this player for a club that Maldini has won everything there is to win the European club football. The players of AS Roma entered with a T-shirt honoring the place of AC Milan with a new shirt for the 2009/2010 season, the first without the "il capitano" I've been a fan. Everything was ready for a moving soccer game, a proper celebration for one of the few remaining footballer from another time, another generation. Zanetti and Alex Del Piero had already expressed himself respectfully before the game, Roma icon Francesco Totti took him after the game in the arm. Sign of respect for Maldini, the 10th since its Age plays for Milan - from opposing fans, sporting rivals, referees and journalists. Never was heard a disparaging remark or an angry outburst against the enemy, no stories of disco visits or fun evenings with fashion models, no clubs, no change of rumors, no "Home Stories". Paolo Maldini was an exceptional athlete who is 41 years one of the best defenders in the series A, no reason he urged coaches and club owners to the last, but still a season to be extended.

A player that Milan made history that has kept its colors a football player lives the faith and led the team in 24 years in 8 Champions-League/Landesmeisterpokal-Finals and seven championships. Respect? Such players should be in the era of modern football, where a team for a player is both the springboard for the next, higher doped contract and keep the fans as the true guardians of color and tradition. Just those it has managed to ruin the leave of Maldini. Even the much-hated city rivals Inter fans honored Maldini in the last derby with applause and a beautiful banner. The local Curva Sud, formerly the seat of the most loyal of the loyal tifosi, adopted, their captain with two striscioni:

"Per i tuoi 25 anni di gloriosa carriera sentiti ringraziamenti as COLORO che hai e pezzenti definito Mercenaries."
"Thank you for your wonderful career of 25 years which you've called mercenaries and rags."

"Grazie capitano: sul campo infinito campione, ma hai mancato di rispetto a chi ti ha arricchito!"
"Thank you captain. On the square inaccessible champion, but you lacked of respect for those who have made you rich. "

Respect? It is known that the ratio of Maldini and Curva was not just a quaint, but that the Curva take it was not to be, such a player to spoil the party agrees, only sad. Because nothing can change that 70,000 fans to the game, standing by applauding when he was on the stadium round opened - one of four sides of the San Siro, accompanied him with a huge Franco Baresi-shirt with the number 6 and chants such as "Franco Baresi" or "There is only one captain." Neither visible nor his angry Carlo Ancelotti presumptive successor to the chair coach, Leonardo, Maldini could move to make the honor actually planned in the square. He fled to the locker room.

Of course, the Tifosi Maldini was never as close as, for example, Gattuso, Ambrosini, Inzaghi and Shevchenko, who returned. The "number 3" has always held back significantly, when it came to a close relationship with the fans. It was certainly owe to his influence that the players of AC Milan never came under the fan curve, but after defeats as victories have waved up from the center circle. And their captain is imbued with a certain coldness met. Maldini was the center of serious editor database after a home defeat against Parma 1996th It was his first game as captain, Milan under the guidance of Fabio Capello is the generous promises made before the season on a disappointing 10th Place. After a poor performance turns the Curva - followed by the rest of the stadium - back to the pitch and starts after Parma's opening goal, smoke bombs and eggs to throw at the square. were serious discrepancies, even after the miserable abgeschenkten Champions League final in Istanbul 2005th The Curva Sud accused the players to have left to go in the second half (for 3-0 lead) and identified as the captain in charge who would have the team to focus more need to call. Even the not very elegant was his gesture to silence the fans who asked, after the final whistle as this (despite the miserable, the game was over 90 minutes Team) supports their right to be indignant about ridiculous performance by the team against Werder Bremen made known.

Nevertheless, the events after the game unworthy. In all the perceived differences we would have this iconic AC Milan give a proper farewell, but unfortunately small-mindedness and bigotry this beautiful day ruined. So the legendary Paolo Maldini occurs as a from of all, team-mates and opponents, respected soccer players with an exemplary career - under the catcalls of "his" corner. And if someone like Maldini deserves no respect, so who will? Maldini, which even salute the northern curve of Inter, Maldini, who in 901 games in the battle never withdrawn the leg, Maldini, the most beautiful symbol of the last two and a half decades of AC Milan. I expect so no love, to me other players are sympathetic, but the captain was too brittle and too close to the people - but respect?

Giancarlo Capelli, Capo of the Curva Sud stated that the wretched spectacle like this:

"Non si trattava di una contestazione, era soltanto una precisazione fargli per capire come la pensavamo Any words su sue affermazioni e negli anni passati comportamenti. Nel giro di campo, poi, ci sono stati episodic non belli, ma in ogni caso non era una contestazione verso lui Tues.
"It was no editor database, it was merely a clarification, to give him to understand how we stand on some of his statements and behavior in recent years. On the stadium round, there were then some of the less beautiful episodes, but in no case was an editor database. "

And I had the Curva also on any other day so also granted. On any day except the 24th May 2009. I too would have liked to see Paolo and from the fans a greeting would have been entitled under the curve, I also was angry about his forefinger to his mouth led to the inexcusable performance against Werder Bremen, also I do not think Maldini for an infallible man. But the little things are ridiculous in light of such an inimitable career of a player who has honored its colors than almost anyone else in the history of modern football.

"I am proud to be one of those," he commented after the game. And I can not blame him. Never again will a player at Milan, the number "3" bear on the jersey - and it is almost impossible that will ever occur again a captain in his footsteps. The Curva has let a great chance to show size and humility, not to poison with an unworthy "settlement" a great day in football. Many will remember when ultras demand respect for themselves and once again the self-inflicted offside against the vast majority of other fans in the stadium spwielt only those in the hands that want anyway Ultrà displace from the San Siro. Thank you for 25 incredible years, Paolo, you would have deserved better.

A few months ago said Maldini this sentence:

"San Siro è stato magico semper: adesso stiamo perdendo questa magia."
"San Siro was always a magical place. Now we just lose the magic. "

Summary of events

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMCYr_nKwtY