Daniel Maldini gets first Italy start, 8314 days after Paolo’s last game | OneFootball

Daniel Maldini gets his first start in the Italy jersey, 8,314 days after his father Paolo’s final appearance for the Azzurri.

The Nations League quarter-final with Germany kicks off at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

Among the changes from the first leg at San Siro, which ended 2-1 to Germany, Luciano Spalletti has brought Maldini into the starting XI.

Maldini dynasty continues for Italy

DAEJEON – JUNE 18: (From left to right) Mark Iuliano, Christian Vieri and captain Paolo Maldini of Italy complain to referee Byron Moreno of Ecuador during the FIFA World Cup Finals 2002 Second Round match between South Korea and Italy played at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, in Daejeon, South Korea on June 18, 2002. South Korea won the match 2-1 with a Golden Goal in extra-time. DIGITAL IMAGE. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)

The 23-year-old Atalanta talent earns his fourth cap at senior level, but it is the first from the starting XI.

His father Paolo had held the record for many years of most senior caps for Italy, amassing 126 over his career.

The debut for the defender was on March 31, 1988 in a 1-1 friendly match against Yugoslavia.

His final appearance was 14 years later, in the 2002 World Cup Round of 16 defeat to South Korea.

That was on June 18, 2002, so almost 23 years later there is a Maldini in the starting line-up for Italy again.

Cesare Maldini, who was Paolo’s father and Daniel’s grandfather, also had 14 caps from January 1960 to October 1963.

He was above all a coach of the Italy squad, from January 1997 to July 1998.