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Kakhaber Kaladze has claimed that the current AC Milan cannot be compared to the one he played in, with Silvio Berlusconi at the helm.
Kaladze had an illustrious playing career in which he became perhaps Georgia’s most famous export, and now he is serving a third term as the Mayor of Tbilisi. He joined Milan for €16m back in 2001, and won two UEFA Champions League titles (2003, 2007) during his time.
He signed for the Rossoneri from Dynamo Kyiv, where he lifted three Ukrainian league titles. After Milan, he finished his career at Genoa (playing there from 2010–2012), while he also racked up 83 appearances for the Georgia national team, captaining them 50 times.
Kaladze gave an interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he reflected on the memories made in his time with Milan, but also provided some comparisons with the present era.
Do you remember your debut?
“I remember that match very well: we won 1-0 against Reggina with a goal from Leonardo, and I was very satisfied with my performance. But I come here often; it’s my second home. This city has given me so much. I arrived very young, and when I left, I was a man.”
Is this still your Milan?
“Obviously not, because Silvio Berlusconi is no longer here. And more generally, Italian football as a whole has changed. When I arrived, Serie A was the best league in Europe, and there were world-class players not only at Milan, Inter, and Juventus, but also at Parma, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Roma. Today, there’s much less quality on a technical level.”
You won the last Champions League in 2007 with a brace from Inzaghi, certainly not a prodigy of individual technique…
“Pippo was incredible. In training, we used to tease him because he couldn’t dribble the ball ten times. But, guys, he had something innate that made him a formidable attacker.”
The strongest player you had to mark?
“I don’t know, offhand I’d say Ibrahimovic: Zlatan had extraordinary physical strength and in a derby we lost 2-1 he really made me suffer.”
Does it affect you to see Milan out of the Champions League today?
“How could it not? The last matchday of the group stage was a spectacle, but at a certain point I just said to myself: ‘Something’s missing’. And that something was Milan. Max Allegri is right when he says that returning to the Champions League is a duty.”
Did you know that since May 31st you are no longer the only Georgian player to have won the Champions League?
“I know, I know. I was very happy for Kvaratskhelia, whom I know personally, also because his father played with me in Georgia. He’s a good guy, even too shy, and a special player. And then, for now, I remain the only one to have lifted the Champions League twice (laughs)”.
Allegri has brought the Rossoneri back to the top, after finishing eighth last season: is this the start of a comeback?
“Many forget that when I arrived in Milan, things weren’t going very well. The club hadn’t won a game for a couple of years, and the league table was anything but good. Ancelotti’s arrival on the bench was decisive later on.
“Today’s AC Milan are also coming off seasons without a win, but Allegri is doing a great job: he’s brought the right mentality back, and the Rossoneri are back to playing as a team, a necessary first step towards winning.”
Ancelotti had a group of champions. Does Milan have great players today?
“As I said, the quality has declined overall, so it’s difficult to make comparisons. The secret to our success, however, wasn’t just the quality of the players: my Milan was like a family, we often went out to dinner and were very close. This aspect made the difference.”
Who do you like on today’s team?
“Pulisic has a nose for goal, then it’s easy to say Modric, despite his age, which is closer to mine than that of many of his opponents (laughs). And I’m not forgetting Maignan, one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
And Leao?
“I know he gets a lot of criticism in Italy, but he’s incredibly strong, both physically and technically. I think he’s a key player for a Milan side that wants to win again, no ifs, ands, or buts.”
Is there a new Kaladze in this Milan?
“I’m choosing Pavlovic because he’s left-handed and plays with the same physique as me. He’s still young and needs to mature in some areas, but he’s on the right track.”
Speaking of great defenders, what effect did it have on you 25 years ago to find Paolo Maldini in the dressing room?
“I’ll just say I had his poster in my bedroom as a kid. When Shevchenko, who was with me at Dynamo Kiev, signed for Milan, I started bombarding him with questions about Paolo. But you know, until you’re on the outside, you don’t really understand.
“When I arrived in Milan and met him, I understood why he was so great: he was a humble, exceptional person, even before being a phenomenal footballer. He taught me so much.”
Since you entered politics, you must have learned something from Berlusconi too…
“Certainly. I’ll tell you an anecdote: in 2008 there was war in Georgia, a terrible situation. I went to Berlusconi, knowing the good relationship he had with Putin, and asked him if he could do something.
“He called him before me, and shortly thereafter peace was signed. For me, Silvio wasn’t just a great president, entrepreneur, and politician. First and foremost, he was a great man.”
Is it true that you and your friend Shevchenko discussed the war in Ukraine?
“We’ve talked about it several times. We in Georgia have experienced something similar: war is terrible. But the fundamental question for me is this: where is all this leading us? I can’t find an answer.”
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