Abate and Antonini commit to Milan
Thursday, February 11, 2010
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The versatile Ignazio Abate and defender Luca Antonini have both signed AC Milan contract extensions running until 2014 after the former trainees made first-team breakthroughs this season.
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AC Milan, preparing for their UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie with Manchester United FC, have agreed contract extensions with Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonini until June 2014.
The 23-year-old Abate, who can play both as a winger and as a full-back, is the son of the former FC Internzionale Milano goalkeeper Beniamino Abate. A product of Milan's youth system, he played for the likes of SSC Napoli, UC Sampdoria and Torino FC before returning to the San Siro last summer. He became a first-team regular earlier this season and has so far made 18 Serie A appearances and four in the UEFA Champions League. Abate also played at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship for Italy.
Former Italian youth international defender Antonini, 27, is another Milan trainee who returned in 2008 after playing in both Serie A and Serie B for the likes of Sampdoria, AC Siena and Empoli FC. This season he has appeared eleven times in Serie A and once in Europe. Milan will be at home to United on 16 February with the return match scheduled for 10 March at Old Trafford.
