Maldini makes Gento's day

By Michael Harrold

Real Madrid CF great Francisco Gento will be supporting AC Milan tonight as long-serving Rossoneri veteran Paolo Maldini makes an astonishing seventh appearance in a European Champion Clubs' Cup final.

Madrid veteran
Gento was a member of the legendary Madrid sides that reached the final eight times between 1956 and 1966 and after today's match in Istanbul he will be the only player to have appeared in more finals of Europe's premier club competition than the Italian left-back.

Seventh final
Half a century after Gento ran out for Madrid in the inaugural final against Stade de Reims Champagne at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Maldini is fast closing in on the past master, and tonight will draw level with another Madrid great, Alfredo di Stéfano, who played in Madrid's first seven finals.

Shirt swap
Fittingly, Gento, nicknamed 'El Supersonico' for the ease with which he tore past defenders on the left, celebrated Maldini's achievement prior to Wednesday's match against Liverpool FC by swapping shirts with the Milan favourite. "It's a great honour to see my name alongside those players who won so many trophies and played such spectacular football," Maldini said. "They were different years compared to now but it was a great symbolic gesture."

'Great emotion'
"He [Gento] gave me his old Real Madrid shirt and I gave him mine. It was a great emotion for me especially because he told me that if there is a player who can beat his record, I can be the one, and he's very happy about this."

Paris mission
Gento won a record six of his eight finals, Maldini has celebrated four victories so far, one fewer than Di Stéfano and José Zárraga, who was also in the Madrid side that won the trophy five times in a row from 1956. Maldini, who turns 37 next month, recently extended his contract until 2007, giving him an excellent chance of at least matching Gento's record.

'Loyal player'
Gento is hoping so. "I want you to beat my record because it would be a great honour for me to be overtaken by such a strong and loyal player," he said as the pair swapped shirts. "Unfortunately Real Madrid are not in the final, so I will support Milan. Liverpool have a Spanish coach [Rafael Benítez] but Milan play better and I only like entertaining and attacking football."

'Tough games'
Gento added: "A lot has changed during the last 50 years, but I don't think there is much difference between a European Cup final from then and now - the principal is the same in that it is one solitary game and one team must win. Those first five finals were incredibly tough games."

Ancelotti team-mate
While Gento and finals went hand in hand over the first ten years of the competition, what is most striking about Maldini's achievement is the time that has elapsed since he helped shut out FC Steaua Bucuresti to win the 1989 final. Carlo Ancelotti was in the side that evening. Now coach of Milan, he cannot have imagined putting Maldini's name on the team sheet again 16 years later.

'More serene'
As usual, Maldini is taking everything in his stride. "There is a notable difference between my first final and this one," he said. "I was only 20 then and everything was much more difficult. Now I'm more serene. My heart is beating as fast as in the hours before the first final, but I'm sure I will manage to control my emotions better during the match."