Cagliari attacking midfielder Daniel Maldini has had his driving licence suspended after failing a breathalyser test following a car crash in Milan.
The 24-year-old was involved in the collision at around 5:15am on Sunday morning while driving his Porsche Carrera, just hours after scoring the winning goal in Cagliari's 2-1 Serie A victory over Atalanta on Saturday night.
Maldini was among six people to suffer minor injuries in the crash between two vehicles. He was taken to Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Milan for precautionary tests before being released later that morning.
Police Confirmation and Breathalyser Results
Milan City Police confirmed the incident to BBC Sport and verified that officers confiscated Maldini's driving licence following tests conducted at the scene of the accident.
In a statement, police said: "Mr Maldini was administered a breathalyser test at the scene" and his "driving licence was confiscated following a positive result."
Reports in Italy stated that Maldini's initial breathalyser test at the scene recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.91 grams per litre, before a second reading came in at 0.89 grams per litre. Both figures exceed Italy's legal driving limit of 0.5 grams per litre.
Denial of Drug Allegations
Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Maldini also failed a preliminary roadside drugs test following the accident, adding that those initial findings required confirmation through hospital toxicological analysis.
However, Maldini and Cagliari vehemently denied the drug accusations, with the Serie A club releasing an official statement on Monday defending their player.
Cagliari Calcio stated: "Cagliari Calcio announces that, following reports that emerged in the Italian media in recent hours, Daniel Maldini underwent toxicology tests. All tests carried out returned negative results. The player will regularly join the squad this afternoon as the team resumes training ahead of their upcoming fixture."
Maldini also took to Instagram to clarify the situation publicly. He posted a screenshot of the toxicology test results conducted after the accident, demonstrating that he tested negative for several substances.
Match Winner Against Parent Club
The road accident came shortly after a memorable evening for Maldini on Saturday, when he scored the winning goal from the penalty spot to secure Cagliari's 2-1 win over Atalanta.
Ironically, the midfielder is currently on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta, having made the temporary move after being deemed surplus to requirements by his parent club.
The penalty was Maldini's second goal in four league appearances this season, helping Cagliari climb to fourth place in the Serie A standings after a strong start to the domestic campaign.
Maldini Family Football Dynasty
Maldini is the son of Italian legend Paolo Maldini, who is widely regarded as one of football's greatest defenders following a career spent exclusively with AC Milan and the Italian national team.
His late grandfather Cesare Maldini also earned legendary status at AC Milan's San Siro stadium before enjoying a managerial career that included stints with both his former club and Italy.
Daniel Maldini came through the youth ranks at AC Milan during a period when his father served as the club's technical director. He departed the club in 2024 in search of regular first-team football, spending a year with Monza before moving to Atalanta.
The 24-year-old, who has previously represented multiple clubs including AC Milan, Monza and Lazio, has also won six senior caps for Italy.
Return to Serie A Action
Following Cagliari's confirmation that he would rejoin his teammates for training on Monday afternoon, Maldini could be back in action on Saturday when Cagliari travel to face Udinese.
