Ciao Maldini - Il Grande Capitano

With his soft face yet to feel the touch of a blade
Cesare’s young stallion learnt he had just made the grade

Fledgling sixteen he took to the splendid stage
In the days when skinny shorts were still all the rage

Whilst steel solid Berlin’s wall was still to be laid
Capitano Maldini was a mere junior grade

Barring a lengthy lay off through critical injury
San Paolo would serve a quarter century

And if the memory banks are murky and hazy
Who remembers a certain debut at Udinese?

Audacious and intrepid, he played to the libretto
Secured in eighty seven the foremost Scudetto

Formidable, he hit with the force of a Tsunami
Sharp lessons from Bergomi, Tassotti, Baresi

Honing defensive art aside the games best
"Piscinin’s" brutal streak which strikers would detest

Miracle defensive bond with Franco Baresi
Five Champions league wins, and seven Scudetti

Super Cups, Club World Cup, the Coppa Italia
Global acclaim from Rome to Santa Maria

First defender to lift FIFA’s World Player
Whilst Zoff’s record shattered on a wing and a prayer

Be it central or left, daily the legend would grow
Soon sharing Euro final’s with “Paco” Gento

Azurri caps also led to the top of the heap
Sour end with Ahn Jung Hwan’s frog like leap

Maldini Junior strutted catwalks looking very dapper
Yes Milano’s heartbeat had long surpassed Il papa

And yet stood in the arena where it all began
The greatest defender ever ill treated by his clan

San Siro swansong where Seventy thousand cheered
Whilst reminiscing Istanbul some five hundred jeered

To disregard quite simply a world revered icon
Even his old partner intervened thereupon

Not much left out with Franco’s wise address
He said, “He deserves more and they much less”

Now will it be Puyol or maybe Inter’s Santon?
Another Maldini ushered in, make way for Christian

Adventures aplenty, most with the Rossoneri
Into the sunset he rides roaring Arrivederci

Number 7
© Emdad Rahman
www.football-poems.com