The Maldini family, who left their mark on Italian football history, became the first Italian family to wear the national jersey in three generations. Finally, Daniel Maldini continued this tradition by taking to the field for the Italian national football team in the Nations League match against Israel.
Cesare Maldini
Daniel's grandfather Cesare Maldini made his debut on January 6, 1960. The player, who was days away from his 28th birthday at the time, wore the Italian national football team jersey 14 times in total.
Paolo Maldini
His father, Paolo Maldini, is one of Italy's football legends, having first stepped onto the pitch for Italy U21 at the age of 18. He made his professional debut at the age of 19, on March 31, 1988.
He wore the Italian national team jersey 126 times and became a legend. Paolo also had an unforgettable career with Milan, winning five Champions Leagues and seven Serie A titles for 24 years, from 1985 to 2009.
Daniel Maldini
23-year-old Daniel Maldini also grew up in the Milan youth academy and was transferred to Monza this summer. The young player, who played 24 matches for Milan, has become one of the important names of the team in Serie A by playing regularly for Monza.
He has contributed to two of the team's five goals in the matches he has played for Monza so far this season. Yesterday, he drew the attention of football fans by playing his first international match in his career.
Maldini, who came on as a late substitute in the 4-1 win over Israel and celebrated his 23rd birthday just four days before the match, said after the match:
"Strong, positive emotions. I am very happy to have come on and that the match went well.
I am happy that they [his parents] came and are her. We will talk and hear from each other when I am at home. I dedicate my debut to my family, my friends, the people who love me."
It may happen for the first time
Daniel Maldini could become the first player in his family to join one of Milan's biggest Serie A rivals, with Inter and Juventus closely monitoring him.
The Maldini name is historically linked to the red and black colors, as Cesare Maldini, his grandfather, spent 12 seasons in the Rossoneri jersey from 1954 to 1966, and then his father Paolo became a club legend, playing for Milan throughout his entire 24-year football career.
Daniel Maldini, who played for AC Milan's youth team and made his first appearance for the main team, has left the club to join Monza.
Inter's interest in Daniel Maldini became clear when the Italian champions' sporting director Piero Ausilio was spotted at the U-Power stadium for Monza's home match against Roma.
According to Tuttosport, Maldini was one of two names on his list, along with midfielder Warren Bondo, as the Nerazzurri look to provide Simone Inzaghi with another and more versatile attacking option to add unpredictability to the attack.
At the same time, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juventus are also keeping an eye on Maldini and could consider acquiring the young midfielder if Monza agrees to sell him during the winter transfer window.
However, Tuttosport reports that Milan have an ace up their sleeve that could jeopardize the player's move to one of their rivals. The deal that saw Maldini move to Monza included 50% of the profits from his next sale, as well as the Rossoneri's right to match any other club's offer, meaning the Rossoneri could decide to bring him back on favorable terms.
