Abate ‘extremely proud’ of Milan Primavera as season comes to an end

By Isak Möller -

AC Milan’s Primavera side played their final game of the season earlier today and drew against fourth-placed Sassuolo. This earned the Rossoneri a 12th-placed finish after a long and tough campaign. 

Ignazio Abate’s men have done really well this season in many respects, using many players and implementing a modern style of play. This paid off certainly in the UEFA Youth League, as they reached the semis and deserved to reach the final as well (although they didn’t).

They faced many ups and downs in the league due to the defensive nature of many of their opponents, which is something Abate will have to work on for next season. Speaking to MilanNews after today’s draw, he revealed his pride.

Are you satisfied with the team?

“I’m extremely proud of the boys, they’ve had a very difficult journey, there have been many moments of difficulty and I think you’ve noticed the growth of the boys in the second round, a much more mature team in interpreting the match.

“We had to make the growth of the boys coincide with team results and I must say that we had an excellent Youth League campaign. But even in the league, we were 5 points from the playoffs up until the game in Lecce, then we had a bad month and a half where we lost 7 boys to injury.

“With such a young team, a bit of ups and downs is normal, but we were much more solid in the second round. Today we finished with pride, after the victory in Verona the boys unconsciously emptied themselves a bit, but they played a game of pride and quality.”

Is this the start of an Abate era with the Primavera?

“I don’t know, I would be repetitive in saying that I feel at home here. I grew up here, then you also need to hear the opinion of the club. I never look too far ahead. I’m always focused on the present, I try to do my best and make myself available to the kids who are the main figures: we are here for them. They are the protagonists and we must try to give them all the tools to be able to grow.”

Indeed, the former Milan captain can be very happy about what he has achieved with the team in such a short period of time. Milan can look forward to next season and hopefully, the talent in the team will blossom further.

Tags AC Milan Ignazio Abate
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