There’s a bond between Massimo Ambrosini and Milan. An understanding that they need him just as much as he needs them. That’s why he remains at the club which originally swooped for his services back in the summer of 1995. Although first-team opportunities have sometimes been hard to come by and numerous clubs have made an approach for his signature, Ambrosini and the Rossoneri have never been able to tear themselves apart.
“I’m happy with the decisions I have taken because I could have gone elsewhere on a number of occasions,” recalled the powerful midfielder. “However, I’m proud to have stayed as it has allowed me to taste the sort of satisfaction which I certainly wouldn’t have got at any other club.”
Born in Pesaro back in May 1977, Ambrosini has become a Rossoneri stalwart since joining from Cesena. Although no longer guaranteed the starting shirt that he was accustomed to during the early part of his San Siro career, he’s still an essential member of Carlo Ancelotti’s set-up, as he has outlined since the start of this season.
With the tactician facing something of a striker shortage given the injury problems encountered by Ronaldo and the ineligibility of Alexandre Pato, Ancelotti reverted to a 4-3-2-1 system. That allowed Ambrosini to be used in midfield alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso, rather than utilised as a luxury reserve. In return, he netted Milan’s first goal of the season in their 3-0 win at Genoa and even won an international recall for Italy’s 2-0 victory over Georgia in October.
That’s the kind of reward that Massimo has deserved. Not only for the impeccable patience and professionalism shown while out of the team for tactical reasons, but for the suffering which his body has put him through over these years. Plagued by injuries at the start of the millennium, the Diavolo ace has had to fight his own demons to get his career back on the right path.
“Picking up injuries so frequently creates a certain amount of frustration mentally,” he admitted. “They are not easy to deal with. Many thoughts pass through your head and you start to lose something fundamental to an athlete which is faith in your own capabilities, both technical and physical. That is the most dangerous thing that comes with this kind of setback.”
It has arguably been worth the pain, though. Ambrosini recently made his 300th appearance for the club during their Champions League win over Benfica at San Siro. It was a milestone to be proud of and one which underlined just how much of a silent impact Ambrosini, who spent the 1997-98 season on loan at Vicenza, has made with the Italian giants during their glorious last decade.
Milan are clearly aware of his value too. If you want to compete with the best then having squad players such as Ambrosini in your ranks is not optional – it’s a necessity. That’s why they’ve been so eager to renew his contract in seasons gone by and why they hand him the armband without hesitation when Paolo Maldini is missing from the starting XI.
“When someone is made the Milan captain you can’t believe that you could possibly match those from the past,” he modestly noted. “I don’t think there is any player in the world who did as much as this club’s last two captains, Franco Baresi and Maldini. But following in their footsteps fills me with pride, even if I can’t look to mirror what they have achieved because that would be a mountain too steep to climb. You just need to give what you can and be yourself.”
Ambrosini, whose game is based more on passion and effort than skill, has little more to prove given that he is now in his thirties. But he’s hungry for more honours and already probably Milan’s best player in the air, he is keen to make better use of a ferocious shot that isn’t used to its maximum potential.
“I don’t tend to shoot that often and when I do I rarely hit the target,” he admitted despite his stunner against Lazio in Week 7. “That’s something that I would want to steal from one of my teammates. I’m talking about Kaka, who doesn’t have a clean or stylish shot technically, but he’s a player who always gets his effort on goal.”
It remains to be seen what the rest of this season has to offer for Ambrosini. Much may depend on whether Milan can get their campaign back on track after their shaky start, but his re-emergence this term has reminded people that he will probably end his playing days in a jersey which has virtually become a second skin.
“I’d like to stay in the world of football, but not on the field of play,” he admitted when questioned on what the future may hold. “I’m quite interested in marketing and the public relations side of things. Doing that sort of work for a club like Milan would be something very attractive to me.” Knowing the European champions, they’ve probably got a desk lined up for him already.
|
