Maldini slams ´absolutely normal´ AC Milan

AC Milan hero Paolo Maldini has labelled his former side ‘absolutely normal’ and hit out at their setup.

Maldini won five Champions League titles and the Serie A seven times during his 25 seasons with Milan, but he said the side, who sit seventh in the league, have failed to show sufficient ambition in recent years.

“I was fortunate enough to be with Milan for 25 splendid years. When I arrived, I found a great foundation to build a great club,” Maldini told La Repubblica.

“President Silvio Berlusconi came and taught us to think big, also of course with his investments.

“Arrigo Sacchi followed and we had the mentality that we’d become the symbol of a style of football. It was something magical.

“Slowly, the magic was lost and Milan transformed into an absolutely normal club. That’s because Milan stopped transmitting that message and those who had written the history of the club stopped teaching their knowledge to the next generation.

“There is nobody in the current Milan setup who wrote history, other than those in marginal roles.”

The former defender also hit out at suggestions of a long-term plan at Milan, citing recent transfers as proof of disorganisation within the team.

“It is difficult to evaluate the planning of this Milan side, as over the summer they released 12 players of great character and still didn’t expect a difficult start to the season,” Maldini said.

“In all honesty, I can’t see what their plans are. Choosing certain players, even if they are on free transfers, looks a world away from a specific plan.”