Abbiati remains realistic

Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati was Milan’s hero in the Trofeo TIM, but he isn’t letting a stellar night go to his head.

After spending last season on loan to Atletico Madrid, Abbiati was on the brink of joining Palermo this summer but he refused the transfer to fight Nelson Dida and Zeljko Kalac for the Rossoneri gloves.

The 31-year-old made a compelling case for the No 1 shirt during the Trofeo TIM on Tuesday night when he helped the Diavolo beat city rivals Inter on penalties after an impressive 45 minutes.

“I’m satisfied with the way I played,” Abbiati said. “The important thing is to play well, call my defence and speak a lot on the pitch.

“The penalty shoot-out was part of the job, but I was also lucky.

“Before the game my finger was hurting but then everything went well and I hope that I won’t have any problems in the future.”

In spite of his excellent evening, Abbiati is aware that he will have to fight hard to earn regular football this season but believes he will be given a chance to show his ability.

“As far as becoming first-choice ‘keeper is concerned, I think Milan have three strong options and it won’t be easy for the Coach to decide, but there should be space for everyone.

“This is a very good Rossoneri team and we need to prove that on the pitch. We need to be in the right condition and try and start the season well.”