After playing in 56 derbies in his time as a rossoneri player, Paolo Maldini is getting set to view the latest edition between Milan and Inter in the director's box. His thoughts however? "This is much more difficult. Because I'm not there on the pitch. As a player you prepare yourself for 10-15 days prior. I still do that, except you are limited to watching it. From a stress level it's much tougher as a viewer of the match than as a player, becuase when you are playing your instincts, fears, and worries are all pushed aside."
Maldini has been a fixture across Milan's media channels, and always talking about his derbies as a player. "The most special ones were the ones in the Champions League. To go and win, in a semifinal, played six days apart betwen home and away legs. And thankfully we were then able to win the CHampions League... at the end it's the final result that counts, and for that reason these were the most intense. In general, derbies are always very emotional. But this match is not of greater importance than those we had to win that season. In other cities the derby is still the most important becuase the two teams have never reached objectives higher than of the single match itself."
