Former Italy head coach Cesare Maldini has passed away at the age of 84.
The former AC Milan defender took charge of the national team in 1996, replacing Arrigo Sacchi, and successfully qualified for the 1998 World Cup.
The Azzurri reached the quarter-finals where they were eventually beaten by hosts France in the quarter-finals on penalties.
Maldini played for Milan from 1954 to 1966 and was a star for the club before son Paolo went on to become a legend in his own right. He helped the club win four Scudetti along with their first European Cup in 1963 when they sealed a 2-1 win over Benfica.
After captaining the club, the native of Trieste moved to Torino before bringing an end to his playing career in 1967.
He moved into the coaching ranks, becoming an assistant for the Rossoneri before taking over as manager from 1972 to 1974.
Maldini led the Azzurrini to three consecutive European Under-21 titles in the 1990s, developing future stars such as Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti before eventually taking the reins with the senior side.
Maldini then became Paraguay national team boss in 2001, leading them to the last 16 at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12022/10228517/former-italy-head-coach-cesare-maldini-has-passed-away[ 此帖被羅力亞在2016-04-06 00:24重新編輯 ]