In brief
At 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, 13 September, Maldini's Porsche Carrera 4 carrying four people collided with a Volkswagen Golf in northern Milan, causing minor injuries to five to six people.
Local police recorded blood alcohol readings of 0.91 g/l and 0.89 g/l at the scene, above Italy's 0.5 g/l legal limit, resulting in a driving licence suspension.
Maldini posted lab results on Instagram on 14 September from an accredited Cagliari clinic confirming negative tests for eight substances, including cocaine and amphetamines.
Cagliari confirmed the 24-year-old forward resumed team training on Monday afternoon, two days after scoring the winning penalty in a 2-1 victory against Atalanta on 12 September.
- Sunday, 13 September, morningBreathalyser tests record 0.91 and 0.89 g/l and licence is suspended
- Monday, 14 September, morningToxicology testing in Cagliari returns negative results across eight substances
- Monday, 14 September, afternoonPlayer resumes squad training with Cagliari
Collision in Milan and breathalyser findings
In the early hours of Sunday, Italian forward Daniel Maldini was involved in a road collision in northern Milan. At around 5:15 a.m. (0315 GMT), his Porsche Carrera 4, carrying four occupants (three men and one woman), collided with a Volkswagen Golf carrying two people. Between five and six people sustained minor injuries in the impact, depending on emergency service tallies. The 24-year-old Cagliari player was transported to Fatebenefratelli hospital for medical examinations before receiving discharge later that day. At the accident scene, local police officers administered two consecutive breathalyser tests. The first reading recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.91 grams per litre, while the second test measured 0.89 grams per litre. Both figures exceeded Italy's legal driving limit of 0.5 grams per litre, leading authorities to withdraw his driving licence.
- First police test
- 0.91 g/l
- Second police test
- 0.89 g/l
- Italy legal limit
- 0.5 g/l
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Private toxicology results and legal statements
Following Italian press reports regarding an initial preliminary drug screening, Maldini underwent comprehensive toxicology tests on Monday morning. The testing took place at an accredited medical facility in Cagliari affiliated with the regional health service. Laboratory results confirmed that all tested substances returned negative, with zero traces detected for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, methamphetamines, ecstasy, opiates, and buprenorphine. Maldini shared the medical certificate on his Instagram account to dispute allegations of illegal drug consumption. His legal counsel, Danilo Buongiorno, released a statement defending the player against media accusations.
“The information that appeared in recent days regarding positive toxicological results concerning Daniel is completely unfounded. The results are absolutely and totally negative. The toxicological tests carried out this morning by Daniel, directly at the hospital clinic of his current football team, were completely negative for any type of narcotic substance. Daniel has never consumed narcotic substances. And today's tests are completely negative!”
Official toxicological analysis requested by the Milan local police remains under processing, with formal results expected within three to four days. Buongiorno stated that legal action is being evaluated to protect the footballer's reputation against unverified reporting.
Return to Cagliari training and sporting context
Cagliari Calcio confirmed in an official statement that Maldini resumed regular first-team training on Monday afternoon and remains available for selection. The collision occurred during a scheduled day off in Milan, just hours after Maldini scored a decisive penalty in Cagliari's 2-1 Serie A win away at Atalanta in Bergamo on Saturday night. The forward, son of former Italy and AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini, joined Cagliari on loan from Atalanta during the summer transfer window in a one million euro deal with purchase options. Maldini has recorded two goals in six appearances for the Sardinian club this season and has earned six international caps for the Italy national team. His representative, football agent Beppe Riso, commented on the public reaction to the collision.
“No one doubts that Daniel made a careless mistake, but there is a lot of nonsense out there. You have to be careful with what is written, with sensationalist headlines. You have to be more careful and respectful. People are always looking for news that has a big media impact to harm him. Daniel is one of the few true talents we have.”