Maldini reconsiders retirement

Milan veteran Paolo Maldini has hinted that he may not retire this summer as planned.

The defensive legend had indicated that this would be his final season as a player, but it seems that he is having second thoughts.

“I am leaving every door open regarding my future,” the 39-year-old revealed.

“I was convinced before that I wanted to quit at the end of the season, but lately I have received lots of praise and my physical condition is better than it has been for a year."

On Saturday, Milan will need a vintage Maldini performance as they take on second-placed Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

“We are expecting a real struggle against the Giallorossi,” Maldini stressed.

“They play the best football in Italy and have managed to find some consistency, even after a few delicate moments recently.

“They progressed in the Champions League where we didn’t and showed that they have a stronger character than Real Madrid.

“We will be up against a strong unit with big players such as Francesco Totti, Mirko Vucinic and Amantino Mancini and we will need to chase everything down.”

Teammate Andrea Pirlo complained today about fatigue amongst the Diavolo ranks and Maldini admits that it has been a demanding season.

“We aren’t in top condition,” he conceded. “But the trip to Yokohama demanded an amazing show of strength.

“History tells us that teams who take part in competitions like the Club World Cup find it hard in the League.

“But we just have to keep working and the win over Empoli was certainly a boost and showed that we can keep getting good results.”

Channel 4