His grand-father Cesare Maldini wrote football history by becoming the first AC Milan captain to lift the Champions League trophy at Wembley in 1963.
His father , the iconic Paolo Maldini, carried on the family tradition by doing the same 40 years later in Manchester. In total he won five. And two with the captain armband on his arm.
The same glorious destiny might however not be the case for Christian Maldini, Paolo’s 20-year old son.
Genes are not heritable and Christian noticed this very early.
After years in the club’s academy, he didn’t manage to make his mark and got released by the club last week.
He has now been offered the chance of a trial at Lega Pro Club Reggiana, based in Reggio Emilia.
He stated that Reggiana will only represent a stepping stone for him. His desire, of course, is to head back to AC Milan one day.
“It will be my first experience in a first team after many years in the youth academy of AC Milan”, he said.
” I will do all I can to make a contribution to my new team.
“Dad always helps me, telling me how to move. At the end however I make the decisions.
“The family name isn’t a weight on my shoulders. I have always been used to having the eyes pointed at me, since I was a kid.
“Now I am here at Reggiana but my dream is to play in Serie A. With AC Milan”, he told the Italian journalists at his first press conference.
Should he persuade manager Leonardo Colucci that he has what it takes to be an integral part of the team he will be offered his first professional contract come August.
And his burgeoning family name will surely have no influence on the decision-making.
Meanwhile, Milan’s fans are looking forward to the prospect of seeing the retired number three on another Maldini’s back in future.
That said, more than eyeing to follow in his dad and grand-father’s inimitable footsteps , Christian would be better off trying to emulate Massimo Oddo and Luca Antonelli, who after suffering the same destiny in their younger days, worked their way back to the club in 2007 and 2015 respectively.
For now, Milan’s famed academy hasn’t churned out another Maldini with world-class potential.
And when you tip ” Maldini” on google , all the photos you find are only about Paolo or Cesare.
But this can change very quickly.