Fabio Pisacane Speaks Plainly About Daniel Maldini

Daniel Maldini is preparing to put a particularly challenging week behind him. Following the car accident in which he was involved on the northern outskirts of Milan and the ensuing controversy surrounding rumors that circulated—and were officially denied in the hours that followed—the Cagliari forward has returned to focusing exclusively on the field ahead of Saturday’s match against Udinese, the team’s final game before the international break.

In recent days, the Rossoblù club clarified the player’s situation in an official statement, announcing that all toxicology tests had come back negative. This stance was also strongly reiterated by President Tommaso Giulini, who had publicly defended his player by refuting the accounts that emerged immediately after the incident.

Now it’s time for the field to speak—and, above all, for Cagliari coach Fabio Pisacane, who, at a press conference, spoke with the utmost respect for the player who followed in his father’s footsteps, hinting that his inclusion against Udinese is a real possibility. ““He’s trained well, and I’ll decide tomorrow whether to start him, based on what I think is best,” explained the Rossoblù coach.

Pisacane then confirmed his high regard for the former Milan and Monza player, expecting Roberto Mancini to call him up: “I expect Maldini to be among the players called up to the national team,” he said bluntly. “I have to admit I didn’t think he was this good, but he deserves it. People had told me he was a very talented young man, but he’s more than that—he’s something extraordinary: I expect to see him on the list.”

These words amount to a genuine endorsement of the 2001-born player, who has just come through some difficult days but is ready to reclaim his spot on Cagliari’s roster as the season continues, putting the misadventure of recent days behind him and starting fresh with the away match against Udinese.