It was on May 23, 2007, when Italian icon Paolo Maldini wrote his name into the history books and secured his place in Champions League folklore.
The former AC Milan defender, almost two years to the day since being one of the victims of Liverpool's heroic comeback in Istanbul, got another stab at attempting to win his fifth European Cup. With the help of two Filippo Inzaghi goals, Maldini captained Milan to their seventh European Cup and his fifth, inflicting revenge on Liverpool in the process, winning 2-1 in Athens.
Despite winning the famous old trophy in 1989, 1990, 1994 and at Old Trafford in 2003, the 2007 success probably tasted the sweetest, such was the way Milan had capitulated in the final against the same opponent two years earlier and lost on penalties. Maldini climbed to the top of the podium and, surrounded by some of the most famous names to have ever played the game, including Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Cafu and Kaka, held the trophy aloft again.
