Alessandro Costacurta:
Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta (born 24 April 1966) is an Italian former professional footballdefender turned manager.
Costacurta spent some twenty years at Milan, with a brief period spent in AC Monza on loan. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti, forming one of the greatest defences in the Serie A and European football during the 90s. He is mainly central defender, but also can play on the right flank if necessary.
Club career:
Costacurta, affectionally known to fans as "Billy", won the Scudetto
seven times with Milan, and the European Cup/Champions League five
times (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 - although he did not actually
feature in the squad for the 2007 final). He was set to retire from
Milan at the end of the 2005-06 season, but later signed a one-year
extension at the age of 40.He became the oldest footballer ever to play in the Champions League, in Milan's 1-0 loss to AEK Athens on 21 November 2006, at 40 years and 211 days, topping the previous record held by Belgian goalkeeper Dany Verlinden at 40 years and 116 days.
On 7 May 2007, at age 41, he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2006-07 season. He remained with the club, as a second assistant to coach Carlo Ancelotti for a short time afterwards. He made his final home start in Milan's 3-2 loss to Udinese on 19 May 2007, converting a penalty that marked his first Serie A goal since the 1991-92 season (a left-footed volley against Roma
on 3 November 1991), and left the pitch near the end of the match to a
standing ovation. After the match ended, his teammates entered the pitch
wearing a replica of his jersey as a tribute.
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