Massimo Ambrosini facts for kids
Ambrosini with AC Milan in 2012
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Massimo Ambrosini | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 May 1977 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pesaro, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Cesena | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Cesena | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2013 | AC Milan | 344 | (29) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | → Vicenza (loan) | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Fiorentina | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 417 | (31) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Italy U18 | 22 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2000 | Italy U21 | 18 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2008 | Italy | 35 | (0) | |||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Massimo Ambrosini (born on May 29, 1977) is a former Italian professional footballer. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder. He is best known for his long and successful career with the Italian team AC Milan.
Ambrosini played for AC Milan for eighteen years. During this time, he won many important titles. He also became the team's captain from 2009 until 2013. He retired from professional football in 2014 after playing one season with Fiorentina.
For his country, he played for the Italian national team. He represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also played in two UEFA European Championship tournaments, winning a silver medal at UEFA Euro 2000. Today, he works as a football expert and commentator for Sky Sport Italia.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Cesena and Vicenza
Massimo Ambrosini started his football journey with Cesena. He joined their first team when he was just 17 years old during the 1994–95 season. His talent quickly caught the eye of AC Milan coach Fabio Capello.
Milan signed him the very next year. It was tough to get a regular spot in Milan's star-filled team. However, Ambrosini played in a few games as the team won the Serie A championship. In the 1996–97 season, he played only a little. So, he was sent on loan to Vicenza. There, he became a regular starter and helped his team avoid being moved down to a lower league. He also helped Vicenza reach the semi-finals of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Becoming a Milan Star
After his loan, Ambrosini returned to San Siro, Milan's home stadium. He finally earned a regular spot in the first team. Milan won the Serie A championship again in 1999. The next season, he played regularly, but then a knee injury limited his chances.
He fully recovered and helped Milan win the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League in the 2002–03 season. He even scored in the Coppa Italia final against Roma. In the 2003 Champions League final against Juventus, he came on as a substitute.
In the 2003–04 season, Milan won their 17th Serie A championship. Ambrosini played in 20 league games, often coming off the bench. He scored one goal that season. In March 2005, he signed a new contract to stay with Milan until June 2008.
Key Moments and Captaincy
During the 2004–05 season, Ambrosini found it hard to get into Milan's starting lineup. He played in 22 league games and scored one goal. However, he scored a very important late goal in the UEFA Champions League semi-final against PSV. This goal helped Milan reach the final on the away goals rule. Unfortunately, Ambrosini missed the final in Istanbul due to another injury. Milan lost that final to Liverpool in a penalty shootout.
The 2006–07 season was a big turning point for Ambrosini. He had fully recovered from his injuries. He started playing incredibly well and earned a regular spot in the team. He scored two important goals in Serie A with his head. He was also a key player in Milan's Champions League victories over Bayern Munich and Manchester United. His vision and leadership helped Milan control the games. He even made a long pass that led to a goal against Manchester United, helping Milan win 3–0. This season made him decide to stay with Milan and extend his contract.
Later that month, Ambrosini started in the 2007 Champions League final. He played a strong game as Milan beat Liverpool 2–1. He was the last player to touch the ball before the final whistle, securing the win. He also served as the stand-in captain for the European Super Cup final against Sevilla FC, which Milan won 3–1.
Ambrosini continued to be a stand-in captain during the 2007–08 season when regular captain Paolo Maldini was absent. He scored four goals that season, including important ones against Palermo and Empoli. He also played very well in the Milan derby against Internazionale, helping Milan win 2–1.
In the 2008–09 season, Ambrosini was a regular starter again. He scored eight goals in total, which was his highest in a single season for Milan. This included a great header from a David Beckham free kick against Lazio. He also scored two goals in a game against Roma, even though he was sent off later in the match.
On July 6, 2009, Massimo Ambrosini was officially named the club captain of AC Milan. He took over from the legendary Paolo Maldini. He signed a new contract to stay with the team until at least 2011. He led Milan to win the Serie A title in the 2010–11 season.
After the 2011–12 season, many of Milan's great players left the club. Ambrosini thought about leaving too, but the club's CEO, Adriano Galliani, convinced him to sign another one-year deal. He continued to be Milan's captain for the 2012–13 season. Milan finished third that season, securing a spot in the Champions League qualification play-off.
On June 11, 2013, AC Milan announced that Ambrosini's contract would not be extended. This ended his amazing eighteen-year journey with the club.
Time with Fiorentina
On July 4, 2013, Fiorentina announced they had signed Ambrosini for one year. He played 30 games for Fiorentina in his first season, helping the club finish fourth in Serie A. On May 21, 2014, Massimo Ambrosini announced he would leave Fiorentina after just one season.
International Career
Ambrosini made his first appearance for the senior Italian national team on April 28, 1999. He was part of the Italian squad for UEFA Euro 2000. Italy reached the final but lost to France. He also represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where Italy reached the quarter-finals.
He missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup due to injury. He was also not selected for the UEFA Euro 2004 or the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On August 16, 2006, he played for Italy again after almost two years. He was even given the captain's armband for that friendly match.
He was called up for Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2008. He played in all four of Italy's matches in the tournament. Italy was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Spain. After that, he was no longer called up to play for Italy. In total, he played 35 games for the Italian national team.
Playing Style
Massimo Ambrosini was known as a strong, energetic, and hardworking box-to-box or defensive midfielder. He was good at winning the ball back from opponents. He was also excellent in the air, especially when attacking from set-pieces, thanks to his height and ability to jump high. He could also shoot powerfully from a distance.
Ambrosini was a great leader on the field. He had excellent stamina, could play in different midfield roles, and understood tactics well. He was also known for his aggressive tackling. Even though he was mainly a ball-winner, he could also start attacks with his good vision and passing. Despite his skills, he often had to deal with injuries throughout his career.
Personal Life
Massimo Ambrosini is married to Paola Ambrosini. They have two children. Their son, Federico Ambrosini, was born on May 11, 2009. Their daughter, Angelica Ambrosini, was born on November 21, 2011.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cesena | 1994–95 | Serie B | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| AC Milan | 1995–96 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||
| 1999–2000 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 26 | 4 | |||
| 2001–02 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 3 | |||
| 2002–03 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| 2003–04 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2006–07 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 34 | 2 | |||
| 2007–08 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 43 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 33 | 8 | |||
| 2009–10 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |||
| 2010–11 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| Total | 344 | 29 | 37 | 5 | 99 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 489 | 36 | ||
| Vicenza (loan) | 1997–98 | Serie A | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| Fiorentina | 2013–14 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | |
| Career total | 417 | 31 | 41 | 5 | 107 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 580 | 39 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1999 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 0 | |
Honours
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2010–11
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2004, 2011
- UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
Italy
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000
Individual
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
Orders
-
5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000
See also
In Spanish: Massimo Ambrosini para niños
