Ignazio Abate

Ignazio Abate
Born	(1986-11-12) November 12, 1986 Sant'Agata de' Goti, Italy
Occupation(s)	Football manager, former professional footballer
Years active	2003–2020 (player), 2021–present (manager)
Known for	Professional full-back for AC Milan; head coach of Juve Stabia

Ignazio Abate (; born 12 November 1986) is an Italian football manager and former professional full-back, currently serving as the head coach of Juve Stabia.

Initially starting his career as a winger, Abate was versatile, also operating as a wide midfielder, wing-back, and occasionally filling in as a centre-back. His playing style was distinguished by exceptional endurance, pace, and offensive runs along the right side, ranking him among the swiftest athletes in Europe's elite leagues during his peak years.

Abate’s football journey began at the amateur club Rescaldina before he entered Milan’s youth academy in 1999. He made his first-team debut for Milan in December 2003. Between 2004 and 2009, he spent several seasons on loan at various Italian teams before reestablishing himself at Milan. During the 2010–11 Serie A campaign, he was instrumental as the primary right full-back when Milan clinched their 18th league title. After a decade and 306 official appearances with Milan, he became a free agent in July 2019 and retired from playing in 2020. In 2021, he returned to Milan in a coaching capacity within their youth ranks.

On the international stage, Abate represented Italy across multiple youth categories, including U19, U20, U21 levels, and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He earned his first senior national team cap in November 2011 and featured in UEFA Euro 2012 (finishing runners-up), the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup (earning bronze), and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He netted his inaugural international goal against Germany in November 2013.

Early years

Born in Sant'Agata de' Goti, Abate is the son of former Italian goalkeeper Beniamino Abate, who currently works as a coach within Milan's youth setup.

Early stages

Abate started playing football with amateur side Rescaldina before joining the youth ranks of AC Milan in 1999. He made his professional debut during the 2003–04 season in a Coppa Italia fixture against Sampdoria on 3 December. Shortly after, on 9 December, he appeared in a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Celta Vigo, becoming Milan’s youngest player to feature in the Champions League at just 17 years and 27 days old.

Loan periods (2004–2007)

During the 2004–05 season, Abate was loaned to Napoli competing in Serie C1, where he played 29 matches and scored twice. Although initially arranged to join Serie A club Sampdoria on loan for the following season (2005–06), Milan canceled this deal and instead sent him to Serie B side Piacenza, where he made 13 appearances. The subsequent season saw him enjoy a more consistent run at Modena, tallying 38 appearances.

Serie A breakthrough (2007–2009)

In the 2007–08 season, Abate made his Serie A debut after joining Empoli through a co-ownership agreement valued at €900,000. He scored his first top-flight goal on 27 April 2008 against Genoa. Following Empoli’s relegation that season, Milan acquired full ownership of Abate for €2 million before entering another co-ownership deal sending him to Torino for €2 million. Despite an early injury setback, he managed to participate in 25 matches during the season, scoring once.

Return to AC Milan

On 24 June 2009, Milan repurchased Abate for €2.55 million and incorporated him into their squad for the 2009–10 season. Initially utilized as a backup midfielder, he soon established himself as the first-choice right back under coach Leonardo, making 36 appearances that campaign. His consistent performances earned him an extension on his contract until 2014.

Under coach Massimiliano Allegri, Abate retained his role at right back throughout the 2010–11 season. He effectively combined dribbling prowess and crossing ability with defensive solidity, contributing significantly to Milan’s capture of their record eighteenth Serie A title as well as the Supercoppa Italiana. That season he featured in 37 league matches and totaled 40 appearances across all competitions the following year. On 25 September 2013, he scored his first goal for Milan in nearly ten years.

During the 2014–15 season, Abate captained Milan for the first time and marked his 200th appearance for the club on 9 May 2015. He extended his contract through to 2019. Throughout the 2015–16 season, he remained a regular starter and was recognized for crucial defensive interventions such as a decisive tackle on Lorenzo Insigne during a match against Napoli.

In March 2017, Abate underwent surgery after suffering blunt trauma to his left eye during a game, which sidelined him for the remainder of that season. Towards late 2018, amid an injury crisis affecting Milan’s defense, he was deployed temporarily as a centre-back—a role that drew praise from coach Gennaro Gattuso and media commentators alike.

Abate’s final home appearance for Milan took place on 19 May 2019 during a commanding 2–0 victory over Frosinone at San Siro. The club’s Ultras honored him with a banner celebrating "10 years of commitment and humility," an emotional moment that brought him to tears. His last match for Milan occurred one week later in a thrilling 3–2 away triumph against SPAL.

International career

Having advanced through Italy's youth national teams, including the under-19 and under-20 squads, Abate earned his first cap for the Italian under-21 side in December 2006. He contributed to the Olympic team that triumphed at the 2008 Toulon Tournament, netting a goal against the United States, and also took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing. Additionally, Abate competed in the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he played a role in Italy's progression to the semi-final stage.

Abate's debut with the senior Italian national team occurred in November 2011 during a friendly match versus Poland. He was selected for Italy's roster at UEFA Euro 2012, where the squad advanced to the final. In 2013, he featured in the FIFA Confederations Cup, appearing in three group matches before an injury forced him out; Italy ultimately finished third in the tournament. Later that year, in November 2013, Abate scored his inaugural goal for the senior national team during a friendly encounter with Germany.

Chosen by coach Cesare Prandelli for Italy's 23-man squad at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Abate made a single appearance during the group stage in a defeat against Costa Rica, with Italy being eliminated early from the competition.

Managerial career

On 2 July 2021, Abate was named head coach of AC Milan's under-16 team within their youth development program. During the 2021–22 campaign, he guided Milan’s U16 squad to the league final, where they were defeated by Roma. Subsequently, on 5 July 2022, he received a promotion to manage the club’s under-19 team. On 21 June 2024, Abate accepted his first senior managerial position at Serie C club Ternana. Although he was dismissed on 6 February 2025, Ternana reinstated him just one day later. However, after a 1–4 loss to Lucchese on 1 April 2025—despite Ternana holding second place behind Virtus Entella—he was relieved of his duties once again.

On 18 June 2025, Abate took over as head coach of Juve Stabia, competing in Serie B.

Personal life

Abate and his wife Valentina are parents to three sons: Matteo (born 19 November 2011), Andrea (born 14 May 2013), and Benjamin (born 23 February 2018). The couple exchanged vows on 18 June 2015.

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Coppa Italia		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
AC Milan	2003–04	Serie A	0	0	1	0	1	0	—		2	0
	2004–05	Serie A	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2005–06	Serie A	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2006–07	Serie A	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	Total		0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
Napoli (loan)	2004–05	Serie C1	29	2	0	0	—		4	0	33	2
Piacenza (loan)	2005–06	Serie B	13	0	0	0	—		—		13	0
Modena (loan)	2006–07	Serie B	38	1	3	0	—		—		41	1
Empoli	2007–08	Serie A	24	1	2	1	2	0	—		28	2
Torino	2008–09	Serie A	25	1	2	0	—		—		27	1
AC Milan	2009–10	Serie A	30	0	1	0	5	0	—		36	0
	2010–11	Serie A	29	0	2	0	6	0	—		37	0
	2011–12	Serie A	29	0	2	0	8	0	1	0	40	0
	2012–13	Serie A	27	0	2	0	4	0	—		33	0
	2013–14	Serie A	19	1	1	0	8	0	—		28	1
	2014–15	Serie A	23	0	2	0	—		—		25	0
	2015–16	Serie A	27	1	1	00	—		—		28	1
	2016–17	Serie A	23	00	02	o colspan= "20" -	26 || 00
	2017-18 AC Milan season	Serie A	17	1	2	o	8	o colspn= "20" -	27 || 1
	2018-19 AC Milan season	Serie A	19	00 || 02 || 00 || 03 || 00 || 00 || 00 || 24 || 00
	- ! colspan= "3" Career total !372 !8 !25 !l !45 !o !6 !o !448 !9|} International National team appearances and goals by year National team Year Appearances Goals Italy 2011 1 0 2012 6 0 2013 10 1 2014 4 0 2015 1 0 Overall 22 1 The scoreline lists Italy's goals first, with the score column reflecting the match status immediately after each goal scored by Abate. Comprehensive list of Ignazio Abate's international goals No. Date Location Opponent Score after goal Final result Event 1 15 November 2013 San Siro, Milan, Italy Template:Fb 1–1 1–1 Friendly match Honours AC Milan Serie A champion: 2010–11 Supercoppa Italiana winner: 2011, 2016 Italy U-21 Toulon Tournament champion: 2008 Italy senior team UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012 External links Profile on the AIC website Profile at the FIGC official site Career statistics on the Lega Calcio platform