Paolo Maldini 1994

USA ’94…Maldini was a real leader during Italy’s march to the final

captained Milan in their 1963 European Cup victory over Benfica, and is now the Under-21 national manager – Maldini Junior had an impeccable pedigree.

He has added his own brilliance to that distinction, ever since making his club debut as a 16-year-old. His international debut came when he was 19, and he has gone on to add more than 60 caps, as central defender, sweeper, or – despite being naturally right-footed – at left-back.

Carlos Alberto Parreira was a member of Brazil’s coaching staff at the 1970 World Cup, when their winning squad were captained by Carlos Alberto Torres – no relation – and managed by Mario Zagalo.

Parreira coached Kuwait in the 1982 finals and did the same with the United Arab Emirates in 1990 before winning this year with another Brazilian outfit, in his second spell in charge. And Zagalo was on his coaching staff this time around.

Brazil’s success at USA ’94 earned Parreira enough votes for him to finish first in our poll, ahead of Milan’s Fabio Capello and Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, who was Manager of the Year last time.

Now, at 51, Carlos Alberto has taken his tactical know-how to Spain, having joined Valencia in the summer on the expiry of his contract with Brazil.

Milan were Team of the Year in 1989, second in 1990 and 1992, and fourth last time.

Their latest success is further proof,

if any were needed, that Silvio Berlusconi’s often controversial methods can succeed at the highest levels of club performance. Since Berlusconi injected a “mere” £20 million into the club in 1986, averting a threat of bankruptcy, trophy has followed trophy. Berlusconi, the media magnate who went on to become Prime Minister of Italy, made the club part of his business empire – not without taints of unfair dealing along the way. Despite that, Milan have gone on drawing huge crowds, paying huge salaries and transfer fees, and becoming more and more dominant. The success in the latest Wor ld Soccer Paolo Maldini is the first defender to lead the voting in the 13 years the awards have been held by Wor ld Soccer

vote was achieved by a team who scored only 36 goals in 34 Serie A games last season, but still finished three points clear at the top, and slaughtered Barcelona 4-0 in the European Cup final with a display that matched any in the competition’s history.

Brazil, second in the Team category, were the first World Cup winners not to win the award in a World Cup year since 1982, when Italy took the global title in Spain but finished second in the Wor ld Soccer poll...to Brazil.

Manchester United, FA Cup and Premiership winners in England, were third, but there were surprisingly few votes for Arsenal and Internazionale, who won the other two European competitions. Neither club finished in the top ten. Keir Radnedge & Gavin Hamilton

Top 10 Players of 1994

Player Club Country % of vote 1) Paolo Maldini Milan Italy 27.36 2) Roberto Baggio Juventus Italy 23.45 3) Romario Barcelona Brazil 14.55 4) Gheorghe Hagi Barcelona Romania 7.41 5) Hristo Stoichkov Barcelona Bulgaria 4.98 6) Franco Baresi Milan Italy 2.69 7=) Eric Cantona Manchester United France 2.42 7=) Jurgen Klinsmann Tottenham Hotspur Germany 2.42 9) Tomas Brolin Parma Sweden 2.29 10) Gabriel Batistuta Fiorentina Argentina 1.07

Top two…Maldini and Baggio in action for the Azzurri

Other World Soccer Award winners 1994

Daniele Massaro… Milan’s two-goal hero in the European Cup final victory

World Cup winner… Parreira

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Milan