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| Cesare Maldini (goal.com) |
After the grief that afflicts the world of football post-losing Dutch football maestro Johan Cruyff, now an another figure of football legend who died. Italiano was named Cesare Maldini who on Sunday (3/4) gone forever at the age of 84 years.
Obviously, Cesare Maldini himself so familiar among football lovers. Because he is the first generation of Maldini dynasty, which wallowing success. These same dynasties have outstanding contributions for the Italy and AC Milan.
Cesare, who is the father of Paolo Maldini, also had a flashy achievement when still registered as a player. He recorded successfully brought Milan grabbed four Scudetto and the Champions League in the 1950s and 1960s.
Cesare became the first Italian man who lifted the European club title in 1962/1963 the past because of his status as captain of the Rossoneri in the year 1961-1966.
Throughout the 15 years of his career on the field, Cesare was known as a tough defender, had a brilliant and versatile technique. It allowed him to play in several positions at the rear sector, as a central defender, sweeper, and even right-back.
Together the three clubs who've strengthened during play, Triestina, Milan and Torino, Cesare has played 453 times in all competitions.
After his career as a player ended, Cesare did not leave this world which made his name. Only a few seasons after hanging up his boots, Cesare lined by Nereo Rocco to be his assistant in Milan from 1970 to 1973. Collaboration both produced a pair of the Italian Cup, the season 1971/1972 and 1972/1973 and also 1972/1973 Cup Winners Cup title.
Even when Rocco move to Fiorentina a year later, Cesare directly promoted to a brand-new head coach of the Rossoneri. Unfortunately, the trip Cesare as Milan allenatore lasted one season only.
Cesare then continued his adventures with handling mediocre clubs like Foggia, Ternana, and Parma. The last club latter successfully delivered promotion to Serie B after an extra hard fight in Serie C1.
In 1980, the Italian national team head coach, Enzo Bearzot, lifting Cesare became one of his assistants. The collaboration was quite successful because they were able to bring Italy into the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Cesare himself became Bearzot assistant until 1986 before being appointed by FIGC (Italian football governing body), head coach of the Italy Under-21.
Cesare coaching career in Gli Azzurrini lasted quite long, precisely a decade. With that same opportunity, Cesare successfully brought Gli Azzurrini winning the European Under-21 Cup three times in a row, a record that has not been solved to this day. Three trophies were won in 1992, 1994 and 1996.
Cesare had a big hand in the career development of young figures which even today has been pension as stars and legends such as Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta, Francesco Toldo, Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri.
Post-successfully refined Gli Azzurrini; Cesare was appointed as senior team coach replaced Arrigo Sacchi that failed miserably in the European Cup in 1996. The task of Cesare was fixing Italy once passed them to the 1998 World Cup held in France.
Talk about a style of play that carried by Cesare in training; then it can not be released with the playing characteristic of Bearzot. Being with Bearzot that lasted long enough so affect the style of Cesare train.
Just like Bearzot, Cesare was known as a coach who adheres to the idea that the Italian game should play man to man marking patterns plus libero in the rear sector, have midfielder fighter, and teams were overall excellent at the counterattack.
But the style of play developed by Cesare was even making Italy appear "ordinary" despite just got some quality players like Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, and Gianfranco Zola.
In qualifying, though untouched defeat of eight parties that played, five wins and three draws, Italy had to settle for second place perched in the final standings.
Gli Azzurri lost out to England and had struggled in the playoffs for the sake win a ticket to the main round. Italian lucky can frustrate the opposition of Russia in two-leg play-offs after a 2-1 aggregate win.
In the final round, Italy could come out as winners of Group B after winning the competition for Austria, Chile, and Cameroon. Unfortunately, Azzurri steps must be stopped sooner; at the quarter-final stage over hosts France by penalties round.
The failure to make an all-out media criticized Italy Cesare, which not bring Zola to the finals and never plays Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero together (replacing one in each half).
It repeats the story of Ferruccio Valcareggi in the 1970 World Cup had never played a Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera simultaneously. As a form of accountability, Cesare withdrew from the national team after the 1998 World Cup.
But the most interesting story in his coaching career when he made as head coach by the Paraguay national team in December 2001 ahead of the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan.
Paraguay at that moment coached by Sergio Markarian, Uruguay national coach, and has qualified for the 2002 World Cup did not go down with full force in the last two games Conmebol zone qualifiers against Venezuela and Colombia. Consequently defeated Paraguay 1-3 and 0-4. These results make Markarian fired.
The dismissal came as a surprise for a majority of Paraguay squad, especially those trained by Markarian since young so it has its loyalty to the coach. Some names floated to be a successor to Markarian, such as Carlos Bianchi and Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani.
However, APF (Paraguay Football Association) instead chose Cesare as head coach. Many people thought that as a coach Cesare curriculum vitae was less okay and did not have the skills regarding tactics.
Also, he called already too weak and paid too high for coaching Paraguay. Cesare also has a constraint about the Spanish language, the national language of Paraguay, that is not under their control.
The appointment of Cesare did not get a positive impression of the La Albirroja squad and Paraguay public.
"I think he should learn Spanish because it will be easier for him than ask 25 people (players) to learn Italian," said Carlos Gamarra, a former national team who was playing for AEK Athens, Greece.
Cesare himself regarded spend too little time in Paraguay to understand better the culture of Latin American football. Yes, while coaching La Albirroja, Cesare is often back and forth Paraguay-Italy. Allenatore came to Paraguay mostly only when La Albirroja will compete.
"He had to spend day and night to watch the video of our game know better how the style and character of Paraguay. The reason is clear because we do not have much time to meet (due to his reluctance to settle in Paraguay), "said the defender who has 110 caps as quoted from news.bbc.co.uk.
Paraguay squad displeasure towards Cesare makes the captain and their legendary goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, apologized to Cesare on the relentless criticism of his colleagues.
Paraguay steps in the 2002 World Cup itself ended more quickly in 16 big round after silenced by Germany with the score 1-0. Earlier, Paraguay came out as Group B runners-up in the group stage. The results also finish his Cesare coaching career. He later became a scout for Milan and analyst on several television channels.
Excellent as a player but not too successful as a coach become its record in a long career of Cesare Maldini. Now, he has left us with all these various stories that would not be timeless. Once legend remains legend.
Ciao Cesare!
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