Massimo Ambrosini facts for kids
Ambrosini with AC Milan in 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Massimo Ambrosini | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 May 1977 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pesaro, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Italy U18 | 22 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2000 | Italy U21 | 18 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2008 | Italy | 35 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Massimo Ambrosini (born 29 May 1977) is a former Italian footballer. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder. He is best known for his long and successful time at AC Milan. He played there for eighteen years.
Ambrosini won many titles with AC Milan. He was also the team's captain from 2009 to 2013. He retired from football in 2014 after playing one season with Fiorentina.
For his country, Ambrosini played for Italy. He took part in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also played in two UEFA European Championships. He won a silver medal at UEFA Euro 2000. Today, he works as a football expert and commentator for Sky Sport Italia.
Contents
Massimo Ambrosini's Club Career
Starting at Cesena and Joining AC Milan
Ambrosini started his football journey with Cesena. He joined their main team when he was just 17 years old. This was during the 1994–95 season.
The famous coach Fabio Capello then brought him to AC Milan the next year. It was tough to get into Milan's strong team. But Ambrosini still played in a few games. Milan won the Serie A championship that year.
Loan to Vicenza and Return to Milan
In the 1996–97 season, Ambrosini played only a little. So, he was sent on loan to Vicenza. There, he quickly became a regular player. He helped Vicenza avoid being moved down to a lower league. He also helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
After his loan, Ambrosini came back to Milan. He finally earned a regular spot in the team. Milan then won the Serie A championship again in 1999.
Winning Trophies with AC Milan
Ambrosini played regularly the next season. But then, a knee injury limited his playing time. He fully recovered and helped Milan win the Coppa Italia in 2002–03. He even scored a goal in the final against Roma.
In the same season, Milan also won the UEFA Champions League. Ambrosini came on as a substitute in the final against Juventus.
Key Moments and Injuries
In 2003–04, Ambrosini played 20 league games. Milan won their 17th Serie A title. He renewed his contract until 2008.
In 2004–05, he struggled to get into the starting team. He played 22 league games and scored one goal. However, he scored a very important goal in the Champions League semi-final. Milan was losing 2–0 to PSV. Ambrosini scored a header in the last minutes. This goal helped Milan reach the final on the away goals rule. Sadly, Ambrosini missed the final due to another injury. Milan lost the final to Liverpool.
In 2005–06, injuries continued to bother him. He played only 13 league games. This meant he could not join the Italian squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Breakthrough Season and Champions League Win
The 2006–07 season was a big turning point for Ambrosini. He finally recovered from his injuries. He started playing incredibly well. He earned a regular spot in the team's starting lineup.
He scored two important goals in the league. He was also a key player in Milan's Champions League wins against Bayern Munich and Manchester United. His smart passes helped Milan win games. He decided to stay at Milan and extended his contract.
Later that month, Ambrosini started in the 2007 Champions League final. Milan won 2–1 against Liverpool. He played a very strong game. He was also the last player to touch the ball before the final whistle.
Becoming Milan's Captain
Ambrosini was the stand-in captain for the European Super Cup Final in Paolo Maldini's absence. Milan won 3–1 against Sevilla FC.
He continued to be Milan's captain when Paolo Maldini was not playing during the 2007–08 season. He scored four goals that season. He played very well in the Milan derby against Internazionale. Milan won that game 2–1.
In the 2008–09 season, Ambrosini was a regular player again. He scored eight goals in total, which was his highest in a season. This included a great header from a David Beckham free kick. He also scored two goals in a game against Roma.
On 6 July 2009, Ambrosini officially became the club captain. He took over from Paolo Maldini. He signed a new contract to stay with Milan until at least 2011. He won the Serie A title in the 2010–11 season.
After a tough 2011–12 season, many great players left Milan. Ambrosini thought about leaving too. But he was convinced to stay and be captain for the 2012–13 season. Milan finished third that season, getting a spot in the Champions League play-offs.
On 11 June 2013, Milan announced that Ambrosini's contract would not be extended. This ended his eighteen years with the club.
Time at Fiorentina
On 4 July 2013, Fiorentina announced they had signed Ambrosini. He joined them on a one-year deal. He played 30 games for Fiorentina in his first season. He helped the club finish fourth in Serie A. Massimo Ambrosini announced on 21 May 2014 that he would leave Fiorentina after one season.
Massimo Ambrosini's International Career
Ambrosini played his first game for the Italian national team on 28 April 1999. He was part of the Italian squad for UEFA Euro 2000. Italy reached the final but lost to France. He also played for Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Italy was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Spain.
He missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup due to injury. He was also not selected for UEFA Euro 2004 or the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy went on to win the 2006 World Cup.
On 16 August 2006, Ambrosini played for Italy again after almost two years. He was given the captain's armband for this friendly match. He was then called up for UEFA Euro 2008. He played in all four of Italy's matches. Italy was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain. After this, he was no longer called up for Italy. In total, he played 35 games for his country.
Massimo Ambrosini's Playing Style
Massimo Ambrosini was a strong, energetic, and hardworking midfielder. He could play as a central or defensive midfielder. He was known for his ability to win the ball. He was also good at heading the ball, especially from set-pieces. He could score goals from long distances.
Ambrosini was a leader on the field. He had great stamina and was very versatile. He was also smart tactically and good at tackling. Even though he was mainly a ball-winner, he could also start attacks with his vision and passing. He often faced injuries during his career.
Massimo Ambrosini's Personal Life
Massimo Ambrosini is married to Paola Ambrosini. They have two children. Their son, Federico Ambrosini, was born on 11 May 2009. Their daughter, Angelica Ambrosini, was born on 21 November 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 and Awards
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
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5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000
See also
In Spanish: Massimo Ambrosini para niños
