Christian Abbiati

AC Milan

Abbiati's Serie A debut came on 17 January 1999 as a 92nd-minute substitute for Sebastiano Rossi. Abbiati picked up a league title with AC Milan that season despite initially being third-choice goalkeeper behind Rossi and Jens Lehmann, while also facing competition from reserve keeper Giorgio Frezzolini. Due to his performances, Abbiati eventually broke into the starting line-up, and in the final match of the season on 23 May, he made several decisive saves, including one on Cristian Bucchi, as Milan celebrated winning the Scudetto following a 2–1 away win over Perugia. He then became Milan's undisputed first choice goalkeeper for the next four years, until he lost his starting spot to backup Dida early in the 2002–03 season after incurring an injury during a UEFA Champions League qualifying match in August 2002. Dida's top form effectively grounded Abbiati's playing time to a halt. Despite his relegation to the bench, Abbiati still managed to contribute to Milan's Coppa Italia and Champions League victories that season. He appeared in Milan's 2003 Supercoppa Italiana defeat to Juventus on penalties, but Dida later regained his position as starting goalkeeper. Abbiati played one minute in Milan's 2004–05 Champions League campaign, when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute after Dida had been struck by a flare thrown from the crowd during the quarter-final second leg against cross-city rivals Inter Milan on 12 April 2005. The match was ultimately…

Abbiati received his first senior international call-up for Italy from manager Dino Zoff, being named as the third-choice goalkeeper for UEFA Euro 2000 behind Francesco Toldo and Francesco Antonioli, after Gianluigi Buffon withdrew from the squad through injury; he did not play, however, with Toldo starting in goal, as Italy reached the final, losing 2–1 to France on a golden goal. Later that year, he was part of the squad that participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics, where Italy were eliminated in the quarter-finals, following a 1–0 defeat to Spain. While still uncapped, Abbiati was once again named by manager Giovanni Trapattoni as Italy's third-choice goalkeeper for the 2002 FIFA World Cup; however, he once again did not appear, with Buffon starting ahead of him, as Italy were eliminated 2–1 in the round of 16 by co-hosts South Korea following a golden goal. He did not earn his first cap until a 2–1 friendly victory over Switzerland in Geneva, on 30 April 2003, where he was replaced late in the second half by fellow debutant Ivan Pelizzoli. He was left off of Trapattoni's Italy team for Euro 2004, with Buffon, Toldo, and Angelo Peruzzi being called up; Italy suffered a group-stage elimination, following a three-way five-point tie with Denmark and Sweden. Abbiati's final cap came under manager Marcello Lippi, in a 1–1 friendly draw against Ivory Coast in Geneva. He was later left off the 2006 FIFA World Cup roster by Lippi, with Buffon, Peruzzi, and Marco Amelia being…

In his prime, Abbiati was a physically strong, reliable and reactive keeper. Throughout his career, he stood out for his longevity, work-rate, leadership and composure in goal, as well as his ability to inspire a sense of calmness to his defenders. He was also effective at rushing off of his line or coming out to claim crosses, despite initially being somewhat indecisive in this area in his youth. Although his performances became more inconsistent during the later years of his career, as his reflexes and movement slowed down, he was initially regarded as one of the most talented young Italian goalkeepers of his generation since his emergence with Milan in Serie A during the late 1990s. He subsequently cemented himself as one of the best Italian goalkeepers of his generation, as well as one of the best shot-stoppers in Serie A in his prime.

In September 2008, Abbiati sparked controversy and criticism from the Italian media when he declared he was a fascist during an interview with Italian sports magazine Sportweek. He later stated he rejected the fascist racial laws and aggressive foreign policies, but declared he was "not ashamed to proclaim" his far-right ideology. "I share [the] ideals of fascism, such as the fatherland and the values of the Catholic religion."