AC Milan's Abbiati to retire after 15 years with club

Longtime AC Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati will retire from professional football after Saturday's season finale against Roma, bringing to an end a 15-year association with the Rossoneri.

Abbiati has served as the No. 2 choice behind teenage prodigy Gianluigi Donnarumma for most of the season, and he's unlikely to feature Saturday at the San Siro.

The 38-year-old signed a one-year contract extension last summer knowing he wouldn't be a starter, a role he knew all too well from his earlier days with Milan.

He joined the club in 1998 and served as its first-choice goalkeeper for the next four years, but Brazilian netminder Dida later relegated Abbiati to the bench. After playing on loan with Juventus, Torino, and Atletico Madrid between 2005-2008, Abbiati once again reclaimed his spot in the Milan goal and won the Serie A title as the starter in 2011.

He's made 374 appearances in total with Milan, and earned a Champions League and Coppa Italia medal during his time there.

Italy capped him just four times over his long career, mainly due to the evergreen presence of Gianluigi Buffon.