Editing Paolo Maldini (section)

===1987–1991: Domestic and international success with ''The immortals''===
The [[1987–88 Serie A|1987–88]] ''[[Scudetto]]'' under [[Arrigo Sacchi]] marked Maldini's first trophy, and the first of seven league titles, with the club.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/players/player=428/index.html | title=Paolo Maldini | work=UEFA | access-date=28 May 2007 | archive-date=27 May 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527062801/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/players/player=428/index.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> Nicknamed "The Immortals", Sacchi's Milan side is remembered for including the Dutch trio of [[Frank Rijkaard]], [[Ruud Gullit]] and [[Marco van Basten]], as well as the Italian midfielders [[Carlo Ancelotti]], [[Roberto Donadoni]] (and later [[Demetrio Albertini]]), and a strong defensive lineup.<ref name="Belgrade">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/24573761|title=How the Belgrade fog saved the great AC Milan team of 1988-89|work=BBC Sport|first=Tom|last=Rostance|date=5 November 2013|access-date=29 July 2016|archive-date=16 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916144306/http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/24573761|url-status=live}}</ref> Under Sacchi and later [[Fabio Capello]], Maldini formed with long-timers [[Franco Baresi]], [[Alessandro Costacurta]], [[Mauro Tassotti]], as well as [[Filippo Galli]], [[Stefano Nava]] and later [[Christian Panucci]], one of football's strongest defensive quartets of all time.{{efn|See<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2834534/gianluigi-buffon-record-cements-his-legacy-greatest-keeper|title=Gianluigi Buffon record cements his legacy as greatest keeper of all-time|publisher=ESPN FC|first=James|last=Horncastle|access-date=21 March 2016|date=21 March 2016|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723040450/http://www.espnfc.com/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2834534/gianluigi-buffon-record-cements-his-legacy-greatest-keeper|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/mar/21/gianluigi-buffon-clean-sheet-record-juventus-torino-sebastiano-rossi|title=Gianluigi Buffon humble as clean sheet record tumbles, but delight not universal|work=The Guardian|first=Nicky|last=Bandini|date=21 March 2016|access-date=21 March 2016|archive-date=26 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726183438/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/mar/21/gianluigi-buffon-clean-sheet-record-juventus-torino-sebastiano-rossi|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/may/08/joy-of-six-great-defences|title=The Joy of Six: Great defences|work=The Guardian|first=Rob|last=Smyth|date=8 May 2009|access-date=9 March 2016|archive-date=16 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216083337/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/may/08/joy-of-six-great-defences|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/nazionale/2013/11/19/news/rivoluzione_filosofica_prandelli-71352856/?refresh_ce|title=Nazionale: 2013, addio al catenaccio. Balotelli-Rossi coppia mondiale|work=La Repubblica|language=it|date=19 November 2013|access-date=9 March 2016|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008115617/https://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/nazionale/2013/11/19/news/rivoluzione_filosofica_prandelli-71352856/?refresh_ce|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Foot|first1=John|title=Winning at All Costs: A Scandalous History of Italian Soccer|date=2006|publisher=Nation Books|location=New York|page=228}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://it.eurosport.com/calcio/la-storia-della-tattica-da-sacchi-a-guardiola_sto4735853/story.shtml|title=La storia della tattica: da Sacchi a Guardiola|publisher=Eurosport|language=it|first=Mattia|last=Fontana|date=19 August 2014|access-date=10 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.storiedicalcio.altervista.org/milan_sacchi_capello.html|title=MILAN 1988-1994: 6 ANNI DA CAMPIONI|publisher=Storie di Calcio|language=it|first=Corrado|last=Sannucci|date=28 November 2015|access-date=10 March 2016|archive-date=6 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006053937/http://www.storiedicalcio.altervista.org/milan_sacchi_capello.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calciomercato.it/news/162238/VIDEO---Speciale-squadre-nella-leggenda-Milan-93-94-vs-Inter-09-10.html|title=Speciale squadre nella leggenda, Milan '93-'94 vs Inter '09-'10|publisher=Calciomercato.it|language=it|first=Jonathan|last=Terreni|date=19 June 2012|access-date=10 March 2016|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310140544/http://www.calciomercato.it/news/162238/VIDEO---Speciale-squadre-nella-leggenda-Milan-93-94-vs-Inter-09-10.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} During the 1987–88 Serie A season, Milan only conceded 14 goals, finishing with the best defence in Italy, as they went on to win the Serie A title. Maldini went on to win the [[1988 Supercoppa Italiana]] with Milan the following season, and followed up this trophy with back to back [[European Cup]] titles in [[1988–89 European Cup|1988–89]] and [[1989–90 European Cup|1989–90]], while Milan finished in third and in second place in Serie A during those respective seasons.<ref name="paolo"/><ref name="Paolo MaIdini: Io sono leggenda"/> On 19 February 1989, Maldini made his 100th appearance in Serie A.<ref name="Date – Paolo Maldini"/>

Milan reached the final of the [[1989–90 Coppa Italia]], losing out to [[Juventus FC|Juventus]]. Milan also managed to capture successive [[European Super Cup]] titles in [[1989 European Super Cup|1989]] and [[1990 European Super Cup|1990]], as well as successive [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] titles, once again [[1989 Intercontinental Cup|1989]] and [[1990 Intercontinental Cup|1990]]. The following season, in Sacchi's final season with the club, Milan were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the [[1990–91 European Cup|European Cup]] by eventual finalists [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]], and finished second in [[1990–91 Serie A|Serie A]], behind [[U.C. Sampdoria|Sampdoria]], once again with the best defence in the league, conceding only 19 goals. Milan reached the semi-finals of the [[1990–91 Coppa Italia|Coppa Italia]], losing out to eventual champions [[AS Roma|Roma]]. In 1989, Maldini was awarded the [[Bravo Award]], as the best under-23 player in [[UEFA club competitions|European Competitions]].<ref name="paolo"/><ref name="Paolo MaIdini: Io sono leggenda"/>