Abate bids farewell to AC Milan with an emotional letter: 'I became a man here'
"If I think back to when I wore these colours for the first time, I still get excited. I was a kid and it thanks to this club that I became a man. Milan is not just a team, Milan is a lifestyle and you perceive it only when you live it...class, history, tradition, elegance. In Milan there were champions I fantasized about as a child, there were the cups that shone, there was a world that I looked at from the outside and in which I dreamed of being!" he wrote.
"Life gave me 10 unforgettable years in the Rossoneri, today I look back and I can only consider myself lucky to have grown up with real champions from whom I have learned discipline, tenacity, the responsibility to wear such a prestigious shirt.
"Everyone knows that my dream would have been to end my career at Milan but sometimes dreams come true and sometimes they remained locked in the hearts. Thanks to AC Milan, to all the employees known over the years, fantastic people always at the service of the team. Thanks to all the coaches I had because from each of them I learned lessons and learned from their advice.
"Thanks, especially to my teammates and former teammates, many of whom I call friends and I'm flattered to do so.
"Two special thoughts go to Adriano Galliani, who always believed in me and always accompanied me even in the most difficult moments and to Rino Gattuso, who represents, as I have always said since I was a boy, the example to follow for those who want to understand our profession.
"But the biggest thanks goes to YOU...my fans! You who supported me, sometimes criticized but above all loved and appreciated me as a man before as an athlete. Seeing you there, in almost 70 thousand, standing to applaud me and shouting my name gave me emotions that will remain in my heart!
Seeing that banner in the Curva Sud and being considered one of YOU is a privilege that fills me with pride. With Milan in the heart...always and forever!!! Thank you, Ignazio," Abate concluded.