Not only is Cesare Maldini considered Milan football royalty, he also fathered Milan football royalty.
The longtime defender and manager, the father of Paolo Maldini, Cesare died Sunday at the age of 84.
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A 1962 World Cup All-Star with 14 Italian caps and 347 appearances for AC Milan, Cesare Maldini later managed i Rossoneri, Italy and Paraguay.
Cesare Maldini was honored by Milan, who wore black armbands on Sunday, as well as by all the Serie A teams, who paused matches for a minute of silence before kickoff.
Goodbye dear Cesare. Today the world loses a great man and we lose a page of our history. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/2OFgVCQiaz
— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 3, 2016
Milan also said:
“Cesare had recently turned 84 and he left his mark at the club not only as a player, but also as a coach and scout. The club president Silvio Berlusconi and the rest of the club will always remember fondly his charisma, kindness and warm smile.”
Paolo Maldini made more than 900 appearances, including several under his father in 2001, as a one-club man at Milan. He is one of the partners of Miami FC in the NASL, who issued this statement:
Our game lost a legend today. RIP Cesare Maldini. In 1963 he became the first Italian to lift the European Cup. pic.twitter.com/iOaiNRmvTz
— The Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) April 3, 2016
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