MILAN – On this day Stefano Borgonovo would have celebrated his 50th birthday had the illness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis not taken him away from his family, friends and all those that held him in such high regard until that sad day on the 27th of June 2013.Happy Birthday Stefano! Your example, strength and courage on and off the pitch will always be firmly in the minds of everybody at the club and in the hearts of all Milan fans.

MILAN – Congratulations to Keisuke Honda who was awarded the Asia Award for the best Asian player of 2013 by the Chinese magazine Titan Sports yesterday in the pre-match build up before Milan-Parma at the San Siro. 

MILAN – Christian Abbiati has been sent off just twice in 316 appearances in Serie A. These are the facts that despite Sunday’s sending off against Parma, show that Abbiati is a fair and sporting goalkeeper. His only other sending off came back on the 13th of January 2007 when Abbiati was playing for Torino in a match against Inter which the side from Turin lost 3-1.

MILAN – The first training session for the Italy Under-17 national team is scheduled for this afternoon after the team met up yesterday at the Mancini Park Hotel in Rome.The Italian youngsters are preparing for the second qualifying phase for the European Championships which is scheduled from the 23rd of March in the Czech Republic.The first match is against Albania on the 26th of March, but before that the Azzurrini will play a friendly match against the Ascoli Allievi Youth Side.Following that match, coach Daniele Zoratto will call up his 18-man squad for the European matches.The following players from the Milan Youth Sector are currently with the Italian Under-17 national team: Ivan De Santis, Gian Filippo Felicioli, Manuel Locatelli and Luca Vido.

MILAN – Giovanni Trapattoni spent 14 years playing with the Milan jersey winning the Italian title as well as European and International honours. Today the former Milan man and legendary coach, who also coached the Italian national team, turns 75.Trapattoni was born on the 17th of March 1939 and the man from Cusano Milanino made his first steps as a coach with Milan and to this day he still says that he owes a lot to Milan’s historic coach Paròn Rocco.On behalf of everybody at the club and all Milan fans, Happy Birthday Giovanni Trapattoni!