Daniel Maldini reborn with Monza – how it could change his future

Daniel Maldini had a difficult first half of the season out on loan at Empoli, but since making the switch to Monza in January there has been a noticeable upturn.

La Gazzetta dello Sport write how Maldini has been ‘reborn a stone’s throw from home’. After a complicated start to the season with Empoli, he decided to make a change and things are going much better at the U-Power Stadium.

Last season the playmaker made 18 appearances and scored not exactly trivial goals in Serie A for Spezia. One came against Stefano Pioli’s Milan at San Siro under the eyes of his father Paolo Maldini, and the other helped beat Inter.

In the summer he was then loaned to Empoli, a club that have always been known for developing talents, but in Tuscany it didn’t go as planned with just seven appearances, no goal contributions and various physical problems.

Then, in January, the call from Monza came and the possibility of trying a new experience very close to home emerged, one that he himself admitted felt like the right move for him.

“As soon as I felt Galliani’s desire to bet on me I felt at home. At Empoli I had a complicated situation, so it was simple to opt for this solution,” he told Corriere della Sera last month.

Palladino’s guidance relaunched him, but the rebirth was also driven by a positive environment and familiar team-mates such as Lorenzo Colombo – with whom Daniel shared his years in the Rossoneri youth sector – and Dany Mota.

After his debut in an ironic defeat against Empoli, he saw himself back on the pitch in the historic 4-2 win against Milan a month ago, to which he contributed with a decisive assist for Warren Bondo’s goal that made it 3-2.

He has scored three goals in Monza’s last four league games which yielded victories against Salernitana, Genoa and Cagliari. In the latter he netted a gorgeous free-kick, showing he has another string to his bow.

“Here I feel at home and everyone treats me very well, it helped me settle in quickly. Now I have to give continuity and that’s what I try to do it without making mistakes,” he said after the game.

For the next few months there are already a couple of objectives in focus. The first is to grab Europe with Monza: the table today has the red and whites in 10th place at 42 points, -1 from Lazio and Fiorentina and -3 from Napoli.

The second looks ahead to June and the never-hidden dream of returning to the Rossoneri to play for a place in the squad, with a couple of seasons of experience tucked away in his bag.

Maldini is on loan for now, but the situation will be discussed again at the end of the season. Milan could decide to raise cash with a sale, but the final rush could rewrite history.