Daniel Maldini: From Match-Winner to Drink-Driving Investigation

Daniel Maldini’s weekend swung from glory to scandal in less than half a day.

On Saturday, the 24-year-old stepped up in Bergamo and buried a decisive penalty, sealing Cagliari’s 2-1 win over Atalanta and underlining his growing stature in Serie A. By early Sunday morning, he was at the centre of a police investigation in Milan, his name no longer tied to footballing heritage but to a serious traffic accident and an alleged drink-driving offence.

From match-winner to police case

The incident occurred at around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday in Milan. Maldini was driving a Porsche Carrera when it collided with another vehicle, in what local reports described as a heavy crash. Six people suffered minor injuries, among them Maldini himself. All were taken for medical checks, with the Cagliari forward later discharged from hospital the same day.

What happened next turned a routine accident report into a national story.

According to local police sources quoted by Reuters, officers carried out two alcohol tests on Maldini at the scene. The first showed a blood alcohol level of 0.91 grams per litre, the second 0.89 grams per litre. Italy’s legal limit is 0.5 grams per litre. Both readings were close to double that threshold.

His driving licence was immediately suspended.

Club reaction and ongoing checks

Maldini also underwent a drug test as part of the standard procedure. Cagliari confirmed on Monday that the initial test came back completely negative and stated that the player would rejoin training as normal as the team prepares for upcoming fixtures.

An Italian security source, again speaking to Reuters, noted that the official results of the police drug analysis will only be available in three to four days, leaving a key part of the investigation still open.

For now, the drink-driving result stands as the central element of the case and raises serious legal and ethical questions for a player seen as one of the promising names of Italian football.

A heavy name, a harsh spotlight

Daniel Maldini carries a surname that weighs heavily in Italian sport. Son of Paolo Maldini – one of the greatest defenders the game has known and an icon at Milan – he has been trying to carve out his own path, moving through Milan, Atalanta and Lazio before finding more continuity at Cagliari.

He already has six caps for Italy and, until this weekend, the narrative around him was largely about potential, development and legacy.

Now, the story has a different edge. A match-winning penalty in Bergamo, a serious crash in Milan, an alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit, a licence suspended.

For a player with that name and that trajectory, how he responds to this moment could define far more than his season.