It is finally official, the dream of so many Milan fans for
so long. Paolo Maldini has been appointed as Technical Director of AC Milan. Along
with him, Zvonimir Boban has been appointed as Chief Football Officer. They are
both a part of Milan’s storied past, winning so many trophies for the club.
Most importantly, they know what it means to be Milan. To wear the shirt, represent
the crest, and to bleed red and black. They are legends of Milan’s past, and
now they are the hope of Milan’s future.
 |
| The future is bright |
For so many of us fans, Maldini is Milan and Milan is Maldini. Second generation Milan, with his sons fulfilling a dynasty by growing up in Milan’s youth system. On the pitch, he was something of an oxymoron: an elegant defender. Off the pitch, he has always been an exemplary human being. A man of integrity and purpose, respected by friends and opponents alike.
There was one exception, of course: Adriano Galliani. He
refused to let Maldini back into the club after he retired as a player. To this
day, I will never understand why, other than the fact that Galliani would likely
sleep with his own mother to get a player on a free transfer, and Maldini would
always do what was right for Milan. Certainly, in 2007, Maldini pointed out
that Milan had not renewed – all of the players were aging and the team needed
an infusion of youth to remain competitive. He was right, and had Galliani
followed his advice, the last 12 years would have been very different. Which is
another reason why Maldini being in charge of the technical area of the club is
so heartening.
 |
| A man of integrity and principles |
Boban has always
been a man of principle. When the Balkan wars were erupting in his
native Yugoslavia, he was memorably photographed taking on riot police who were
liberally beating his Croatian brothers and fans of his club. As a player, he
was a fiercely talented number ten, playing ten memorable years for Milan and
hoisting many trophies. After football, he pursued his education and got a
degree in history, then mastered the art of sports journalism. As a pundit, analyst,
and columnist, he always stayed true to himself and never shied away from
unpopular opinions.
Perhaps it was these characteristics that FIFA saw in him
when they appointed him Deputy Secretary General just three years ago. During
that time, he worked tirelessly to bring about effective change to the game,
working for the introduction of VAR as well as restructuring the World Cup.
Always, he has shown a love for the game above all else, and always, he has
been a man of principle.
 |
| No more free transfer souvenirs picked up on his Milan paid vacations |
Both of these men are young to be taking on these new roles,
and very inexperienced. At the age of 50, perhaps they represent the infusion
of youth that was needed all along to modernize the club and make it
financially successful again. Fans hope that they will also bring back
beautiful football, and why not? Financial success is always more likely with
football that people actually want to watch. Most likely, they will make
mistakes. With the impending doom of FFP and the debts of men who were much
older and should have been wiser, they have an uphill battle to climb. But
these two men are both very intelligent and well-spoken, as well as being
former players. And they have something none of those other men had: They are
part of Milan’s past. And for that, we all have faith that they will become an
integral part of Milan’s future.
This post inspired by the music of OK
Go’s “Return”