After guarding the Rossoneri defence for 25 years, 40-year-old Maldini will be retiring from the game by the end of the season.

But Instead of receiving a hero's farewell, Milan's ultras raised a banner reading: Thanks captain. On the pitch you were an undying champion but you had no respect for those who made you rich.

"The club's silent and I don't like the fact they chose not to take a position," Maldini told La Gazetta dello Sport.

"There hasn't even been a comment. From the President down, not one director said a word."

Maldini is considered a living Milan and Italy legend as he won 7 league titles, one Coppa Italia, five Champions League trophies with the club since his debut season in 1984.

"I may be an idealist, but I believe that a club like Milan should dissociate itself from certain events."

Maldini hasn’t had the best of relations with Milan's ultras. He once called them mercenaries after the UEFA Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in 2005.

"The Curva has a clean conscience on what it did. We don't renounce what we did in the times and ways of what we did," Curva Sud leader Giancarlo Capelli said.

"We did not insult Maldini the player, who was a great champion and made us win everything, the Curva insulted Maldini the person."