UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: runner-up 2012

• The son of former FC Internazionale Milano goalkeeper Beniamino Abate, Ignazio grew up at Milan, but despite making his UEFA Champions League debut in December 2003 – against RC Celta de Vigo – he did not play in Serie A and was loaned to SSC Napoli, Piacenza Calcio and Modena FC.

• Eventually made his top-flight debut, for Empoli FC, in 2007/08 after a co-ownership deal with Milan; made a similar move to Torino FC after Empoli's relegation, scoring one goal in 25 league appearances for the Granata.

• Played for Italy at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, having scored in a 3-1 win in Israel that secured the Azzurrini's qualification for the final tournament in Sweden.

• Returned to Milan for 2009/10 and made his first Serie A appearance for the club on 12 September 2009 in a 0-0 draw at AS Livorno Calcio; his first start followed eight days later in a 1-0 home win against Bologna FC.

• Gradually took over from the injured Massimo Oddo as the first-choice right-back and featured on 29 occasions in 2010/11 as the Rossoneri won the Scudetto for the first time in seven years. 

• After a trophyless 2011/12, he went with the Italy squad to Poland and Ukraine and made three appearances as the Azzurri reached the final of UEFA EURO 2012.