P. Maldini: "Beckham, a great fit for PSG"

Special guest on the Tony Parker Show, AC Milan legend, Paolo Maldini, gave his thoughts about the current state of his former team. The Italian defender also talked about the impact Beckham could have in France playing for Paris Saint Germain.

Do you think AC Milan has what it takes to win the Italian Serie A this season?

Absolutely! Milan is currently the best team in the Italian league. And the latest results prove it. However, in the Champions League, Milan might not be able to compete with the two Spanish teams, Real Madrid and Barcelona, or with some of the English teams.

Is there a player that really impresses you in the current team?

The key player of course is Zlatan ibrahimovic. He is the one who can make a difference at any time. He is a great athlete and always has that will to push his teammates towards success. Other than Ibrahimovic, I’m also impressed by Boateng and Robinho, two players who really help the team a lot.

Can you give us some news about Cassano (the Italian striker recently had to undergo heart surgery) and Gattuso (the midfielder hasn’t played since the opening game because of a serious eye injury)?

Cassano’s heart surgey went well. But he will be out for at least six months and we really don’t know when he will be able to play football again. As for Gattuso, we need to wait three or four months in order to see the evolution of the injury. And depending on it, he could have to undergo another surgery. For the moment, he still has perfect vision on both eyes.

What do you think about Leonardo’s work for Paris Saint Germain since his arrival in the French club?

I think he is the right guy for the right job. There are huge ambitions in Paris now that the club is owned by Qatar investors. Now, the team needs to be structured with talented players. The club’s mentality has to change if PSG wants to become one of the best European teams

You played with David Beckham in Milan. Could he be a good addition for PSG?

Beckham would have a great impact in Paris. The club would reach a whole new level with a player like him. And it would increase the team’s popularity overseas.

In Milan, you played with Papin, Desailly, Vieira, Dhorasoo, Dugarry, Gourcuff, Ibrahim Ba. Among them, who do you remember the most?

Marcel Desailly was really a huge surprise for me. He arrived in Milan as a defender but nobody knew where he will play. And then he managed to become one of the best defensive midfielder in the world. Vikash Dhoraso was quite impressive too but he didn’t play enough. And of course, there is Ibrahim Ba because he is a friend of mine. We played futsal last week together.

Let’s finish by talking about the French national team. Do you think France can win the European Championship next summer?

There are great players in France but the problem is that it’s not a real team for the moment. That’s the main issue in my opinion. The last World Cup was a real debacle and it didn’t help. But when teams like France or Italia begin an European Championship, they are always among the favorites. So we’ll see.

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