Julio Maldonado, Maldini, has chosen his best eleven from the latest Champions League in his Mundo Maldini segment.
Maldini doesn't choose any Inter player... nor Real Madrid
There's a surprise. Many from PSG, practically half the team, and 3 from Barça and 2 from Arsenal. That is, 5 from the two teams that were eliminated in the semifinals.
None from Inter. None from Real Madrid, even though some white-clad players earned the right to be among the best. Although the white team fell in the quarterfinals to Arsenal.
This is how Maldini explained it on social media:
"I put Donnarumma as goalkeeper. It's true that in the final he hardly had to do anything, but he's the man who lifted PSG to the title.
The three from Barça in the ideal eleven
As right back, Achraf Hakimi. As right center back, Saliba. As left center back, William Pacho.
As left back, Nuno Mendes. That is, the goalkeeper and three defenders from PSG in Julio Maldonado, Maldini's ideal eleven.
In midfield, we'd put Vitinha as the holding midfielder. Pedri as one of the midfielders with a lot of freedom. Declan Rice.
Up front, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Dembélé. This would be my ideal Champions League eleven."
For Maldini, only PSG, Barça, and Arsenal existed in the latest Champions League.
Six from PSG, more than half the team (Donnarumma, Hakimi, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Dembélé). Three from Barça: Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha. Two from Arsenal: Saliba and Rice.
They remind Maldini that he forgot about Doué
This is the eleven chosen by Maldini: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Saliba, Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Pedri, Rice; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Dembélé.
An atypical eleven, without representation from the finalist and without Real Madrid players, something that's not usually common.
Among Maldini's followers, the absence of Doué, the hero of the final with two goals, has also caused surprise. Doué doesn't appear among Maldini's picks for the best Champions League eleven.