Daniel Maldini’s Weekend: From Match-Winner to Police Investigation
Daniel Maldini’s weekend swung from heroics on the pitch to a serious off-field scandal in less than half a day.
Hours after coolly converting a decisive penalty to seal Cagliari’s 2-1 win away to Atalanta in Bergamo, the 24-year-old found himself at the centre of a police investigation in Milan for driving under the influence of alcohol.
From match-winner to police case
The incident unfolded at around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday in Milan. Maldini was at the wheel of a Porsche Carrera when it collided with another vehicle, in what local reports described as a heavy crash.
Six people sustained minor injuries, among them Maldini himself. All were taken for medical checks, with the Cagliari forward later discharged from hospital the same day.
The real damage came from what followed.
Almost twice the legal limit
According to local police sources quoted by Reuters, officers carried out two breath tests on Maldini at the scene. The first recorded an alcohol level of 0.91 grams per litre, the second 0.89.
Italy’s legal limit is 0.5 grams per litre. Maldini was close to double that threshold.
His driving licence was suspended on the spot after the positive test. Police also ordered a drug test, as required by protocol in such cases.
On Monday, Cagliari announced that the club’s own information confirmed a negative result for drugs and stated that Maldini would return to training as normal as they prepare for upcoming fixtures.
An Italian security source cited by Reuters said the official toxicology results from the police process would not be ready for another three or four days.
A rising name under a heavy surname
The case lands at a delicate moment in Maldini’s career. Once on the books at Milan, with spells at Atalanta and Lazio, he has been trying to carve out his own path at Cagliari while carrying one of the most famous surnames in Italian football.
Son of Paolo Maldini, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders the game has seen, Daniel has already broken into the national setup, earning six caps for Italy.
Now, instead of the conversation centring on his match-winning penalty in Bergamo and his development as a key figure for Cagliari, attention has shifted to a night in Milan, a crashed Porsche, and an alcohol reading that could shape both his image and his immediate future.
What should have been a weekend that underlined his rise has instead posed a stark question: how does a young player rebuild trust when the spotlight turns this harsh, this early?
