Full name: Ignazio Abate
Country: Italy
Age: 24
Date of Birth: 12/10/86
Position: Right-back/Right Midfielder
Clubs: Milan, Napoli, Sampdoria, Piacenza, Modena, Empoli, Torino
Ignazio Abate has grown in leaps and bounds this season and really developed as a reliable full-back for Milan.
Abate is a product of Milan youth system and from 2004 to 2007, went out on a succession of loan spells to Napoli (when they were is Serie C1), Sampdoria, Piacenza, and Modena. He made his Serie A debut in the 2007-08 season when he moved to Empoli on a co-ownership deal. Following the Tuscan club’s relegation, Milan purchased his playing rights, only to send him out on yet another co-ownership deal, this time to Torino.
In those two Serie A campaigns, he scored two goals (one in each) and played 24 and 25 games for Empoli and Torino respectively.
It has been a very difficult journey for young Abate however. In fact it was not too long ago that his Milan future was coming under serious scrutiny. The reason for this is that Abate began his career as a winger.
It was under Pierluigi Casiraghi that Abate really showed that he might have had something to him. It was actually after his performances at the 2008 Toulon Tournament in France that he was called back to Milan. Along with the likes of Sebastian Giovinco, Abate went on to lift that trophy with the young Azzurri side having scored a goal against the United States and played four games.
Raw pace, speed, and stamina were Abate’s best attributes. As such, although it came as a surprise, there was some logic to Leonardo deploying Abate as a right-back. The problem however was, that this was completely unfamiliar territory to Abate,as a result he failed to cope with the defensive responsibilities of his new role. Poor tackling ability, inability to read the game, and lack of positional awareness were all Abate’s weaknesses in his new right-back role.
With his Milan career in danger, it was new coach Massimiliano Allegri who took it upon himself to transform Abate into the reliable fullback he has become.
Allegri recognized Milan’s aberrant weakness in the full-back position and made it a priority to salvage something out of both Abate and Luca Antonini. The latter has not proven a success but Abate has taken very well to the Italian tactician’s efforts. With the major factor behind Abate’s improvement at right-back has been working on a daily basis with assistant coach, Mauro Tassotti, over the course of the season.
Tassotti is a well-known Milan legend, having played in Milan’s great title-winning sides and what was considered part Europe’s best backline alongside Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, and Paolo Maldini. Abate has really benefited from his experience and developed into one of Milan’s most consistent performers this year and is now able to combine his pace and speed, and utilize it to much more devastating effect than he might have been able to in the past.
He is no longer so prone to leaving space behind him, and reads the game more intelligently especially when making forward runs.
The ability he has to cover his central defensive partner is possibly also the biggest piece of evidence that show Abate’s defensive improvements.
The player is very grateful for this and said it himself: “I have Allegri to thank for my progress, at the start of the year he forced me to work [with Mauro Tassoti] on the defensive side of my game.”
We have all witnessed this as Abate charged forward less [in the early days of his transformation] and focused almost solely on defending. Later on, as he became more and more comfortable, he began to run forward much more confidently. What that has uncovered is also his very good passing range, able to deliver cross at pace and accurately from both the byline and from deep.
Furthermore, he has also begun to learn how to not only rely solely on his pace to beat his markers, dribbling instead of attempting to simply knock the ball past his man.
Probably the biggest compliment to Abate is that teams in the past so clearly went out to attack both Milan’s fullbacks, but they now, almost exclusively, focus on the much [and still] weaker left side of the defense knowing that Abate has developed that tactical and defensive nous he once lacked.
Having been nothing short of one of Milan’s standout player’s this year. His contributions may not have been as important as the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Christian Abbiati, or Mark van Bommel, but his vast improvements have contributed to Milan’s boasting of the best defensive record in the league (23 goals conceded). Surely National team coach Cesare Prandelli will have to have noticed Abate and will soon be calling up the young Rossonero for his first cap.
Even Milan CEO, Adriano Galliani, has been full of praise of young Abate and offered him his full backing in light of his progress this year: “We won’t buy a new right-back. Abate will continue in that role next season.”
Abate himself is in no rush and remains satisfied with his club contributions: “I don’t even think about the Nazionale because I’m living a dream. I never thought I’d win a Scudetto with Milan.”
Milan’s fans are certainly delighted by Abate’s progress and will look forward to his developing into an even better player. Who knows after all, Abate may yet be wearing his mentor’s famed no.2 in seasons to come.
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