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Should Maldini Play against Brazil?

January 28th, 2009 | By: Julian | 39 Comments »

Goal.com are launching a bid to have Maldini called up for the friendly against Brazil. Now, the chances of this actually happening are smaller than the chances of me buying an Xbox 360, but it raises an interesting point. Should Maldini be called up?

The Pros:

He deserves it. The man is a walking legend, and arguably, this is the least we could do for him to show our support.
It’s just a friendly right? So why not call him up?

The Cons:

We have enough age problems on our team as it is. Yes, it’s just a friendly, but any more age to the backline is a golden invitation for Pato, Robinho, and Kaka to just score goals. Just because it’s a friendly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take it seriously. Lippi’s got a record to keep up.
He would just take the spot of someone else who deserves it. If this was a tribute game, then fine. But considering we have a World Cup to defend next year and our backline still isn’t set, this is one more chance for Lippi to test out what works. Why not call up Santacroce instead? We can’t live in the past.

Let’s not forget, it’s Maldini’s own choice that he’s not in the national team right now anyway. He retired after the 2002 World Cup, and resisted calls to the subsequent Euro and the 2006 World Cup. If he hadn’t retired, he’d have a World Cup winner’s medal.
People are saying that Totti and Nesta are scum for choosing to retire and now possibly being called up, so why would they support Maldini? Similar situations.

Just my two cents. What do you guys think?

Tags: Brazil, Group E, Italy, Maldini, Marcello Lippi, Santacroce, World Cup 2006, World Cup 2010

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 39 comments.

Read the rest of the comments

By kappa | January 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am

Gianfranco, lets not turn this into a battle of certain players. You don’t know what Totti’s reasons were for retiring. He did train like an animal to get into the WC to save us.

Posted from Canada

By marco | January 29th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

if it was for a farewell then why not wait til a game that is being played in italy? when baggio played against spain it was played in genoa i think, i might be wrong, but i know it was in italy. if we called maldini up for one last appearance then why not let it be in front of the fans who love him and not in london. i doubt the stadium would be sold out, and most of the fans would probably be brazil fans

By MAD | January 29th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

“He did train like an animal to get into the WC to save us.”

I always thought that we we won that world cup by the fact that our defence gave up 2 goals the whole tournament. Shows what I know.

By asem | January 29th, 2009 at 2:51 pm

Come on, you can’t slight on the guy’s heart to come back from sucha horrible injury to play for his national team.

Big Ups to All His Haters.

Posted from United States

By Stefano | January 29th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

I would love to see Maldini play one last game for Italy. But I would rather see him play the game in Italy. Then again against Brazil would be fitting.

By Mike | January 30th, 2009 at 8:58 am

I have to say i’m completely against this, with the world cup just over a year away, we need to give the younger defenders the experience that they need, especially vs a big team such as brazil. Call up Sanacroce, Palombo, or Gamberini.

By gianfranco | January 30th, 2009 at 9:05 am

kappa, save us from what? The potential of no red cards for a whole tournament? Oh wait another Roman fixed that goose as well…

Posted from United States

By asem | January 30th, 2009 at 11:00 am

ooh slayzer beam

Posted from United States

By John Silver | January 30th, 2009 at 11:14 am

Maldini retired in 2002. Not last year or two years ago, in 2002. A farewell game should have been then, not now.

And the notion that Totti should have retired in 2002 as well is too funny for words. The man was 25 back then, considering the shit they’re throwing at him now, imagine what everyone would have said if he’d given it up back then. By contrast Maldini happened to be 34 – could that have been the reason why he retired and Totti did not? :rolleyes:

Posted from United Kingdom

By marco | January 30th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

gianfranco, you just cant help yourself from being a complete twat, can you? youre obvious ineptitude on anything related to calcio gets further amplified by your clear dexterity for being a complete fuckwad with each post or comment you make. a good kick in the cunt would do you wonders.

Posted from Canada

By Angharad | January 30th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

Has anyone asked Maldini if he wants to come back, for a friendly or otherwise?

Or is that not actually relevant?

Posted from United States

By gianfranco | January 30th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

Marco, I neglected to tell you that my comments are aimed solely at getting your panties in a bunch, what can I say your retorts are what I comment for!

By Samuel | January 30th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

ha ha get um Gian! if anyone deserves a great sendoff its Maldini. How can you guys compare him to totti wtf!!! major disrespect. totti= Maldini’s reserve bootlaces..notice i didnt capitalise his name. John Silver if you spent more time writting accurate articles and less time rolling eyes you’d be a bit more respected, grow up and be a man bro. Forza Milan and the King Maldini forever.

Posted from United States

By kappa | January 30th, 2009 at 10:11 pm

Cough AUSTRALIA Cough. But overall it was a team effort. Without the offence the defence would’ve not been enough. Without the defence the same is true and the same goes for the midfield. Totti got 4 assists and a goal to send us through. However the defence had its moments too. Like I said, I don’t want this to be an arguement of players, this is about Maldini

Posted from Canada

By kappa | January 30th, 2009 at 10:12 pm

Samuel I capitalised Maldini so do the same

Posted from Canada

By marco | January 30th, 2009 at 10:28 pm

samuel, rather than fingering gianfranco’s clitoris, why don’t you get familiar with the actual discussion.

gianfranco, there was no need to state the obvious regarding your motives. it’s been obvious for a while that there really is no other reason for you to comment other than to advertise yourself as the biggest shit stain on theoffside.

Posted from Canada

By MAD | January 31st, 2009 at 1:54 am

“Cough AUSTRALIA Cough”

cough Grossodidallthework cough

By gianfranco | January 31st, 2009 at 7:54 am

marco if you didnt live in some random ego centric universe where name calling and non-soccer discussion is all you can do, you would be better able to explore the career of Maldini, and shine a more critical light on that of your “hero” Totti. By doing that it would only take a few minutes to realize the differences. So I ask you this does Maldini deserve a tribute, of course he does, but should he have one…no. The answer is no because much like your hero he has done nothing of value for the Azzuri, it has always been bad luck compounded by bad luck so dont’t try to aruge Totti’s value to the national team to me because there is NONE and if i can say my hero has no value to it either it makes me more creditable does it not? Learn to not be a fan boy, and have some courtesy when you write your language is foul and on the Milan blog it would be gone Milan fan or not.

By kappa | January 31st, 2009 at 10:06 am

If Totti has no value how come all of you got so pissed when he retired. That’s because deep dwn you all love him. Don’t tell me he is worthless because we’ve all seen his skill. As for MAD
“cough Totti converted it and many people can miss a penalty cough

Posted from Canada

By MAD | January 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am

“cough Totti converted it and many people can miss a penalty cough”

Good for him.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that making that penalty saved us, considering it was the defense that won us the WC that year,

With the team we had that summer anyone could have made that penalty. Hardly a saviour though. More like mopping up.

By gianfranco | January 31st, 2009 at 12:46 pm

MAD, hang your head high, Materrazzi won us the WC, I dont like saying but I am not to much of a fan boy to admit. Goal against France HUGE, getting in Zidane’s head PRICELESS. Take pride in his accomplishment, as you and I both know he may be the last Azzuri Intersita for a long time…

By kappa | January 31st, 2009 at 1:07 pm

If anything Grosso won us the cup. It’s funny how we can fight so much among ourselves but come World Cup time we’re all united and put our differences aside. So lets just stop this debate about the Totti Maldini. You can’t single out one player who won us the cup. That’s why the win was so revered. The teamwork, the way we all came together with the scandal back home

Posted from Canada

By Weston | February 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm

didnt Totti say that he only retired so that he could focus more on his club and to make way for younger players, but that he would always come back if he was needed???

but anyway, i would say not as a starter, maybe as a sub. try out the younger players and prepare for the WC, and then let him finish up the match and get the applause when he comes on.

Posted from United States

By RobyBaggio10 | February 8th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

k first off you cant compare Totti and Maldini. Their two different positions. Totti was amazing. He just doesnt wanna do it anymore playing 50 games a year. He did his dues with Italy, he won the world cup right. Maldini is known has the best defender for Italy ever. I vote yes for him being in the game. if the best foward Roberto Baggio did it in 04′ why cant the best defender Paulo Maldini do it too. Yes people are saying its against Brazil so Baggio was against Spain a great team also. It would be good to see once again Maldini playing for italy. His re-match from 94′ world cup. He’s gonna put everything he’s got in the game.

By Antonio | February 20th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

Bailout 2008, a poem by David Jeffrey:

Like a bloodied warrior,
laying broken and torn.

Like a dying soldier, hopeless and forlorn.

But the blood, it be green,
the color of money.

And the soldier is an economy,
and it is anything but funny.

Broken are it’s people and shattered are their dreams.

Thanks to the ultra rich and their full proof schemes.

It is a tragedy with more pain to come.

Finance will be Hell, and their wills will be done.

http://www.voicesnet.org/allpoemsoneauthor.aspx?memberid=982900010

Posted from Canada