Former AC Milan defender and Italy coach Cesare Maldini has died at the age of 84
Cesare Maldini
Milan: Former AC Milan defender and Italy coach Cesare Maldini has died at the age of 84.
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Born in Trieste in 1932, Maldini won four Serie A titles with Milan, as well as their first European Cup in 1963, as a player. He then managed the club between 1972-1974.
Cesare Maldini. Pic/ AFP
He was capped 14 times by Italy.
In 1996, he became the coach of Italy - with son Paolo captaining the team - before going on to lead Paraguay in the 2002 World Cup.
AC Milan tweeted on Saturday: "Goodbye dear Cesare. Today the world loses a great man and we lose a page of our history."
Maldini was also the manager of Italy at Under-21 level, winning the European Championships a record three times in a row from 1992 to 1996.
He took the senior squad to the 1998 World Cup quarter-finals and lead Paraguay at the 2002 World Cup.
There is now a third generation of Maldini at Milan, as his grandson Christian plays for the youth team.
Born on February 5, 1932, Cesar was a beloved figure in Italian football for his sweet nature and ever-present smile, reports football-italia.net.
He played 347 games in the Milan jersey from 1954 to 1966, scoring three goals, while he was also captain in 1962-63.
His management career could not have started stronger, as he was assistant manager to Enzo Bearzot when Italy won the World Cup in 1982.
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