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<SPAN class=art-title2>For the love of the shirt</SPAN> <TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=5 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
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<SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Paolo Maldini, pictured in action against Schalke 04, has remained loyal to AC Milan throughout his career.
</SPAN><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN> <SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>PATRIK STOLLARZ
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<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(FIFA.com)</SPAN> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">02 Feb 2007</SPAN>
<SPAN class=art-text>Twice a year, the transfer window swings open to the sound of telephones ringing in club offices across the globe. Having penned their wish-lists, coaches are either desperate to fill a hole or find the next big thing, prompting a multitude of players to examine their options and pack their bags for pastures new. However, there are some footballers who remain supremely indifferent to the noise of the transfer market whirring into action.
With the curtain having just come down on the January trading period, FIFA.com turns the spotlight on to the players who continue their hard work in the shadow of the transfer headlines. Having committed themselves to one club for life, these men never seek to fuel media speculation about their future, fully intending to see out their careers with the only team they have ever served.
In Italy, high-profile deals are hardly a rare occurrence when opportunity permits, but Serie A sides have also shown a consistent desire to produce home-grown talent. As a result, while a team like AC Milan may have re-united some of the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s (including Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Jean-Pierre Papin, George Weah, Rui Costa and Zvonimir Boban), the Milanese giants never missed a chance to blood the promising young bucks already present at the club.
One of those locally-produced young talents took his first steps in the professional game at the age of 16 on 20 June 1985. Now, 21 years and 598 matches later, the evergreen Paolo Maldiniremains fiercely proud to still be pulling on the AC Milan shirt, the only one he has ever worn. Lending his skills to the Rossoneri must seem like the family business, in fact, with Paolo's father Cesare having turned out for the side for 12 seasons between 1954 and 1966, before going on to become coach. Likewise, Paolo can turn his thoughts to retirement safe in the knowledge he has left his mark at the club: his ten-year-old son Christian is already playing in the Milan youth team.<TABLE id=IMGTAB height=150 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=150 align=left summary="" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR id=TRCAP><TD vAlign=bottom align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Club icon Francesco Totti is into his 15th campaign at AS Roma.</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRSOURCE><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRAUTHOR><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>FILIPPO MONTEFORTE</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Captain and soul of the club
A little further south, Francesco Totti has taken on the role of idol at AS Roma, having inherited the crown left vacant by Bruno Conti's retirement in 1990. A product of the local academy, the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winner is enjoying his 15th campaign with the Giallorossi. Indeed, more than just the captain, he is the very soul of the club he led to the Scudetto in 2001. Neither Roma's financial difficulties, nor attractive offers from several of Europe's top outfits, have looked like luring Il Bimbo d'Oro (The Golden Child) away from the team he loves.
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</TD></TR><TR class=paddingall><TD vAlign=top>
<SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Paolo Maldini, pictured in action against Schalke 04, has remained loyal to AC Milan throughout his career.</SPAN><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN> <SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>PATRIK STOLLARZ
</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">(FIFA.com)</SPAN> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">02 Feb 2007</SPAN>
<SPAN class=art-text>Twice a year, the transfer window swings open to the sound of telephones ringing in club offices across the globe. Having penned their wish-lists, coaches are either desperate to fill a hole or find the next big thing, prompting a multitude of players to examine their options and pack their bags for pastures new. However, there are some footballers who remain supremely indifferent to the noise of the transfer market whirring into action.
With the curtain having just come down on the January trading period, FIFA.com turns the spotlight on to the players who continue their hard work in the shadow of the transfer headlines. Having committed themselves to one club for life, these men never seek to fuel media speculation about their future, fully intending to see out their careers with the only team they have ever served.
In Italy, high-profile deals are hardly a rare occurrence when opportunity permits, but Serie A sides have also shown a consistent desire to produce home-grown talent. As a result, while a team like AC Milan may have re-united some of the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s (including Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Jean-Pierre Papin, George Weah, Rui Costa and Zvonimir Boban), the Milanese giants never missed a chance to blood the promising young bucks already present at the club.
One of those locally-produced young talents took his first steps in the professional game at the age of 16 on 20 June 1985. Now, 21 years and 598 matches later, the evergreen Paolo Maldiniremains fiercely proud to still be pulling on the AC Milan shirt, the only one he has ever worn. Lending his skills to the Rossoneri must seem like the family business, in fact, with Paolo's father Cesare having turned out for the side for 12 seasons between 1954 and 1966, before going on to become coach. Likewise, Paolo can turn his thoughts to retirement safe in the knowledge he has left his mark at the club: his ten-year-old son Christian is already playing in the Milan youth team.<TABLE id=IMGTAB height=150 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=150 align=left summary="" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR id=TRCAP><TD vAlign=bottom align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_normal>Club icon Francesco Totti is into his 15th campaign at AS Roma.</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRSOURCE><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>(AFP)</SPAN></TD></TR><TR id=TRAUTHOR><TD align=left><SPAN class=textblack11px_bold>FILIPPO MONTEFORTE</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Captain and soul of the club
A little further south, Francesco Totti has taken on the role of idol at AS Roma, having inherited the crown left vacant by Bruno Conti's retirement in 1990. A product of the local academy, the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ winner is enjoying his 15th campaign with the Giallorossi. Indeed, more than just the captain, he is the very soul of the club he led to the Scudetto in 2001. Neither Roma's financial difficulties, nor attractive offers from several of Europe's top outfits, have looked like luring Il Bimbo d'Oro (The Golden Child) away from the team he loves.
N