Daniel Maldini's Weekend: From Hero to Investigation
On Saturday night, Daniel Maldini was the hero. By Sunday morning, he was at the centre of a police investigation.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder, on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta, had just delivered one of the standout moments of his season, scoring the decisive goal in a 2-1 win over his parent club. It was the kind of storyline that usually dominates a weekend: a loanee sinking the team that owns his contract, a club clinging to vital points, a famous surname back in the headlines for footballing reasons.
Hours later, the tone changed completely.
Late-night crash in Milan
In the early hours of Sunday in Milan, Maldini’s Porsche Carrera 4 was involved in a collision with another vehicle. The impact left six people, including the player, with minor injuries. All were taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks. Maldini was later discharged.
At the scene, Milan city police carried out standard procedures. They confirmed to BBC Sport that Maldini was given a breathalyser test and that the consequences followed swiftly. Officers stated that “Mr Maldini was administered a breathalyser test at the scene” and confirmed that his driving licence was confiscated after a positive result.
Reports from the incident said Maldini was well above Italy’s legal alcohol limit of 0.5 grams per litre. The first test recorded 0.91 g/l, the second 0.89 g/l – close to double the permitted level for drivers in the country.
The numbers turned a routine road accident into a legal issue, and a football story into something far more complicated.
Club closes ranks around key player
While police handled the legal side, Cagliari moved quickly on the sporting front. Maldini has been an important figure in their season so far, with six appearances in all competitions and two goals. His winner against Atalanta had just given the Sardinian club a timely lift.
With questions swirling around his condition and his future availability, Cagliari issued a statement aimed at calming the storm and protecting a player they clearly regard as central to their plans.
The club confirmed that Maldini had “undergone toxicological screening following recent media reports” and stressed that “all tests returned negative results”. They also made it clear that, from their perspective, his routine would not change: the playmaker is expected to rejoin the squad for training on Monday as normal as they prepare for their next fixtures.
On the pitch, they want him fully focused. Off it, the legal process will run its course.
A surname under the spotlight
Any incident involving Daniel Maldini carries extra weight because of what he represents. He is not just another promising attacking midfielder in Serie A. He is the third generation of one of football’s most storied dynasties.
His grandfather Cesare and his father Paolo are both AC Milan greats, regarded as icons of the game. Daniel has already carved out his own piece of history, becoming the third Maldini to represent Italy when he made his international debut against Israel in the Nations League in 2024.
Since then, he has collected six caps for the Azzurri, the latest coming in September 2025. Every step of his career has been tracked through the lens of that lineage: every goal, every move, every setback.
Now, a weekend that should have been remembered for a decisive performance against Atalanta is overshadowed by a crash on the streets of Milan, a confiscated licence, and an investigation that will follow him into the next phase of Cagliari’s season.
How he responds – on and off the pitch – will shape not just his campaign, but the next chapter of a famous family name.
