The former Georgian defender, now mayor of Tbilisi: “The Rossoneri have a duty to return to the Champions League. Today, I like Pulisic and Maignan”

The passage of time has left just a few strands of gray in his hair. Physically, however, he’s still as tough as ever. On February 4, 2001, Kakhaber Kaladze made his debut with Milan. “I remember that game very well: we won 1-0 against Reggina with a goal by Leonardo, and I was very pleased with my performance.” Twenty-five years later, we meet the former Georgian defender at a hotel in downtown Milan, chosen by Kakha as a base for a trip down memory lane. “But I come here often—it’s my second home. This city has given me so much. I arrived very young, and by the time I left, I was a man.” In between, there were ten seasons of memorable victories in the Rossoneri jersey, before moving on to Genoa and then entering politics. Today, Kaladze is the mayor of Tbilisi, but he’s always happy to take a peek at his old love.

 Kakha, is it still your Milan?

“Obviously not, because Silvio Berlusconi is no longer there. And more generally, Italian soccer has changed completely. When I arrived, Serie A was the best league in Europe, and there were world-class players not only at Milan, Inter, or Juve, but also at Parma, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Roma. Today, there’s much less technical quality.”

Well, you won your last Champions League in 2007 with a brace from Inzaghi—certainly not a prodigy of individual technique…

“Pippo was incredible. In practice, we’d tease him because he couldn’t keep the ball under control for ten touches. But guys, he had something innate that made him a formidable striker.”

Who was the toughest player you ever had to mark?

“I don’t know—off the top of my head, I’d say Ibrahimovic: Zlatan had extraordinary physical strength, and in a derby we lost 2–1, he really made me suffer.”

Does it affect you to see Milan out of the Champions League today?

“How could it not? The final matchday of the group stage was a spectacle, but at a certain point I really told myself: ‘Something’s missing.’ And that something was Milan. Max Allegri is right when he says that returning to the Champions League is a must.”

Do you know that as of May 31, you’re no longer the only Georgian player to have won the Champions League?

“I know, I know. I was really happy for Kvaratskhelia, whom I know personally, especially since his father played with me in Georgia. He’s a good guy, almost too shy, and a special player. And besides, for now, I’m still the only one to have lifted the Champions League trophy twice (laughs, ed.).”

I’m still the only Georgian to have won the Champions League twice

Kakhaber Kaladze

 Let’s get back to Milan. Allegri has brought the Rossoneri back to the top of the table after last season’s eighth-place finish: is this the start of a comeback?

“Many people forget that when I arrived in Milan, things weren’t going very well. The club hadn’t won a title in a couple of years, and their standing in the league was far from good. Ancelotti’s arrival as coach later on proved decisive. Today’s Milan is also coming off several winless seasons, but Allegri is doing a great job: he’s restored the right mindset, and the Rossoneri are playing as a team again—the first necessary step toward winning.”

Critical observation: Ancelotti inherited a group of champions. Does today’s Milan have great players?

“As I said, the overall quality has dropped, so it’s hard to make comparisons. The secret to our success, however, wasn’t just the players’ skill level: my Milan was a family—we often went out to dinner together and were very close-knit. That aspect made all the difference.“

Who do you like on today’s team?

”Pulisic has a nose for the goal. Then it’s easy to say Modric—despite his age, which is closer to mine than to that of many of his opponents (laughs, ed.). And I can’t forget Maignan, one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”

What about Leao?

“I know he gets a lot of criticism in Italy, but he’s incredibly strong both physically and technically. I consider him a key player for a Milan team that wants to get back to winning, no ifs, ands, or buts.“

 Is there a new Kaladze on this Milan team?

”I’d pick Pavlovic, because he’s left-footed and plays a physical game like me. He’s still young and needs to mature in some areas, but he’s on the right track.”

Speaking of great defenders, what was it like for you 25 years ago to find Paolo Maldini in the locker room?

“Let’s just say I had a poster of him in my room when I was a kid. When Shevchenko, who was with me at Dynamo Kyiv, signed with Milan, I started bombarding him with questions about Paolo. But you know, as long as you’re on the outside, you don’t really realize it. When I arrived in Milan and met him, I understood why he was so great: he was a humble, exceptional person—even before being a phenomenal soccer player. He taught me so much.”

Since you’ve entered politics, you must have learned something from Berlusconi as well…

“Certainly. Let me tell you an anecdote: in 2008, there was a war in Georgia—a terrible situation. I went to see Berlusconi, knowing the good relationship he had with Putin, and asked him if he could do anything. He called Putin right in front of me, and shortly afterward, a peace agreement was signed. For me, Silvio wasn’t just a great president, businessman, and politician. First and foremost, to me, he was a great man.”

Is it true that you and your friend Shevchenko had a disagreement over the war in Ukraine?

“We’ve talked about it several times. We experienced something similar in Georgia: war is a terrible thing. But for me, the fundamental question is this: where is all of this leading us? I can’t seem to find an answer.”