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Miami FC Signs Former A.C. Milan Defender Luca Antonelli

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 02/17/21, 9:16AM EST

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Veteran has made more than 200 appearances in Serie A, 13 caps for Italy’s National Team


New Miami FC signing Luca Antonelli has notched more than 200 appearances in Serie A during his career, including 69 matches for A.C. Milan.

MIAMI – The Miami FC announced on Wednesday it had signed Italian defender Luca Antonelli, pending league and federation approval. Antonelli brings a wealth of experience to the club having played for the Italian national team, while also featuring in more than 200 Serie A matches and several Europa League fixtures.

“Luca’s quality speaks for itself,” said Miami FC Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Dalglish. “The former Italian international and A.C. Milan defender has plenty of miles left in his tank and we’re excited to have him here for this upcoming season. We’ve got plenty of young players on our team and bringing in someone with his experience will help us develop them both on and off the field.”

Born in Monza, Italy, Antonelli began his career at Italian giant A.C. Milan, working his way up the youth ranks until reaching the first time. Despite not making an appearance in his first season, Antonelli was on the bench in two 2006-07 UEFA Champions League matches, which A.C. Milan would go on to defeat Liverpool 2-1 in the final. A year later he would be loaned out to Serie B club Bari, where he would make 20 appearances in his six months at the club.

His impressive performances earned him another loan spell, this time with fellow Serie A club Parma. After featuring in eight matches, Parma acquired Antonelli permanently in June 2008 to help the club’s fight for promotion after being relegated after the 2007-08 campaign.


New Miami FC signing Luca Antonelli in action for the Italian National Team, for which he made 13 appearances at the senior level.

His 2008-09 season in Serie B saw him feature in 16 total matches, helping Parma return to Serie A. The club went on to secure Antonelli’s remaining rights from A.C. Milan towards the end of the 2009 season. The left back would remain at Parma until the end of the 2010, having played a total of 61 matches, scoring one goals and adding two assists to his name. Towards the end of his time at Parma, Antonelli caught the eye of the Italian national team, making his senior debut in October 2010 in a UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifiers against Faroe Islands.

His success at Parma earned him a transfer to Genoa, where in a short time he earned the starting spot over Domenico Criscito. Antonelli, 33, spent nearly five seasons at Genoa, making 109 appearances for the club while netting eight goals and recording ten assists. 

In February 2015, Antonelli rejoined his childhood club A.C. Milan and a year later would play a part in the club’s 2016 Supercoppa Italiana victory against Juventus. In four seasons at one of Italy’s most prominent clubs, the defender played in 69 matches, where he scored five goals and had five assists. Following the 2017-18 campaign, he departed Milan to join FC Empoli, where he would feature until the end of the 2020 season.

In total, Antonelli would make 13 appearances for the Italian national team from 2010 to 2016, while also playing in 215 Serie A and 42 Serie B matches. He now joins Miami FC ahead of the club’s second USL Championship season, with the goal of using his experience to help the club continue its winning tradition.

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