Italian hero Paolo Maldini has denounced what he perceives to be an anti-Azzurri agenda within FIFA, with President Sepp Blatter the main target of his ire. The Milan legend has focused his attack around the fact that Blatter skipped the World Cup final ceremony, leaving UEFA President Lennart Johansson to hand the trophy to Fabio Cannavaro after the penalty victory over France in Berlin.
Maldini feels Blatter's snub is evidence of a political agenda within the sport's governing body that is aligned against the European superpower.
"A thing that really bothered me, has been the way Fifa treated us in Berlin," Maldini told Panorama. "Blatter didn't want to award us and this has been a scandal which our federation didn't react to. I have never seen a similar thing, it's not enough. That person, as he can, continues talking badly about our football and he's not the only one. This behaviour allows us to understand why in the past we haven't won what we deserved. It's a political matter, we are not present in the 'drawing room' that counts, and Blatter's behaviour confirmed it. The Italian Federation must behave as one of the world champions."
When Maldini eventually hangs up his boots, with the Rossoneri defender still going strong at 38, he is expected to adopt the role of a footballing ambassador for his country. "I'm thinking of this," he admitted.
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