Last updated on .From the section Tennis

Maldini shared this image on Instagram of him and Landonio with their trophies for winning their qualifier

Legendary Italy and AC Milan footballer Paolo Maldini has qualified for a professional tennis tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The 48-year-old, capped 126 times by his country, won a qualifier in Italy with doubles partner Stefano Landonio.

Landonio, 46, was once ranked 975 in the world and has coached Maldini since he retired in 2009.

The pair will compete at the Aspria Tennis Cup, a Challenger Tour event in Milan which begins on 29 June.

The Challenger Tour is the tier below the top-level ATP World Tour, which features the best players in the world.

Maldini spent 31 years with AC Milan, 24 of them as a professional, winning seven league titles and the Champions League five times.

He will be 49 on the day the Aspria Tennis Cup begins, with 16 doubles pairings competing on clay.