Alexandre Pato pictures update

Alexandre pato debut match ac milan vs napoli

Milan Not Just Pato, Warns Leonardi

Udinese will face Milan in the next matchday of Serie A this weekend, and general director Pietro Leonardi warns not to focus too much on Alexandre Pato.

The Friulani will be hosting the Rossoneri on Sunday in what is in many ways a six-pointer for fourth place in Serie A.

General director Leonardi spoke about the upcoming clash, and Pato.

"On Sunday we will be up against Milan and Pato," he said to 'Radio Kiss Kiss'. "He is a player of great promise.

"If they had registered him a couple of weeks later, it would have been better for us.

"However, the Rossoneri are not just about Pato. They have many other players who can make the difference. We are proud to face such a team."

Leonardo then went to speak about Fabio Quagliarella, who has not exactly settled in smoothly.

"He's proving to have a good attitude. He had some acclimatization difficulties at first, but it's always like that in his career.

"Now he has integrated perfectly, and can give a lot to the team, and also get some continuity to become a great player."

Pato, the latest teenage sensation from Brazil, waiting in the wings at AC Milan

He started playing at the age of three, joined his first club at 11, and has been hailed as a future great by the legendary Pele. Can Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva live up to the hype?

It has taken just 15 years for Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva to progress his football career from an indoor school in Brazil, where he started at the age of three, to his present status as blossoming world star at AC Milan.

He joined Internatcional in Porto Alegre at the age of 11, living in dormitories with scores of other young hopefuls and playing for the youth teams. But in November, last year, he made his first team debut for Internacional at the age of 17, helping them to a 4-1 win over Palmeiras.

Pato created three of the goals and scored the other goal himself to announce his arrival to the world. His appearance spotlighted the young fantasist and created expectations and comparisons with various Brazilian superstars like Kaka and Ronaldinho.

He scored Internacional's first goal of the FIFA Club World Cup on December 13 in the semi-final game against Al-Ahly Cairo, helping his team to win the match 2-1 for a place in the final, which Internacional went on to win.

Pato was destined to join AC Milan and it was no surprise when he signed for them in August in a deal said to be around 22million Euros, which was the minimum buy-out clause in his Internacional contract.

But because of Italian football regulations that state non-EU minors may not be registered in Italy, Pato will not be able to play official matches for Milan until January 3, 2008, when the Italian transfer window reopens. But he has started training with the team and is allowed to play in exhibition games (which he has already done, and scored).


He already has a glowing reputation among retired and active stars. His control, deft touches, power and work rate have been compared with Kaka, and his dribbling and passing accuracy with that of Ronaldinho. Even the legendary Pele described him as "an extraordinary player promising to be the most professional footballer the world has ever seen."

Galliani On Pato: I Am Told He Is Extraordinary

Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani is excited over the prospect of Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato and says that star-striker Ronaldo is recovering well from injury.

The 18-year-old Pato signed for Milan from Internacional in the summer. However due to Italian football regulations regarding non-EU minors, he is ineligible to play competitively for the European Champions until January.

Nicknamed ‘The Duck’, the translation of his surname and place of birth, Pato is regarded as one of the most exciting young prospects in world football in recent years.

"They tell me extraordinary things about him, the players as well as the coach and I read the same things on the newspapers,” said Galliani.

“However he is only 18, let's not put too much pressure on him and give him too much responsibility.

“His purchase was a very precise political decision on our part, we always believed in this player and we knew we had to wait four months for him when he was bought. In January we will see whether we made the right choice.”

Galliani also offered another update on Ronaldo’s injury situation. The ex-Real Madrid star has yet to play for the Rossoneri this season.

"The doctors tell me Ronaldo is doing well, as do Maldini, Serginho, Kaladze, and Digao. Unfortunately we have five players out at the moment, but they are all recovering," Galliani concluded.

Emerson: Pato Is The New Bebeto

Emerson has dubbed Pato the new Bebeto in a homage to both the AC Milan youngster and, perhaps, the former Deportivo La Coruna legend.

Bebeto, who scored 42 goals for Brazil between 1985 and 1998, is still held in extremely high regard in Brazil, and Emerson has signalled that Pato could one day do the same.

"For a 17 year old he displays great personality, and great class... I'd compare him to Bebeto, for his class and his ability to score," 'Puma' Emerson said of Pato.

Emerson played alongside Bebeto in the 1998 World Cup finals squad, and could potentially do the same with Pato in three years' time.

For now, though, he is focused on AC Milan, complete with its own contingent of samba stars.

In an online chat session with fans on ACMilan.com, he said, "I'm feeling very happy here in Milan.

"And with all these Brazilians [Kaka, Pato etc.] I feel even more at home.

"[Carlo] Ancelotti is a great coach, too. He knows how to instill great calm and tranquility into the squad, says the right things, and does well by the players on the pitch.

"[Former coach at Real Madrid Fabio] Capello is a very serious boss, but Ancelotti jokes around with us players, and the atmosphere is generally more relaxed."

Emerson, 31, was accused by some Madrid fans of being over the hill last season, but the ex-Juventus midfielder insists that this is far from the truth.

"My physical preparation at the moment is fine," he claimed.

"My desire today is the same as it was with the club that launched my professional career, Gremio of Porto Alegre."

Emerson, looking back to his own days of a 17 year old, claimed that his own mentor growing up was Zico, who scored 66 goals in 88 appearances for Brazil.

PATO PLEASED TO BE OFF THE MARK

AC Milan youngster Alexandre Pato is delighted to have scored his first goal for the Rossoneri, albeit in a friendly.

The 17-year-old Brazilian, who joined the European champions in the summer, netted in his side's 2-2 draw with Dynamo Kiev in a match to mark the 80th birthday of the Ukrainian club.

Pato, who scored in the 44th minute, told www.acmilan.com from the Dynamo training camp: "It's not the first time I have scored with my head.

"I got a similar goal for the Brazil Under-20 side. I remain at the disposition of the team. I can play as an out and out striker and I also like to communicate with my team-mates in midfield."

Ancelotti Gushing Over Pato Debut

Carlo Ancelotti was full of praise for Alexandre Pato following the Brazilian's impressive debut in a Milan shirt.

Alexandre Pato made a great debut in yesterday's friendly against Dinamo Kiev, even scoring with a first half header to spark Milan's comeback, and Carlo Ancelotti could not be more delighted.

"Alexandre played very well and immediately showed his quality," Ancelotti told Milan Channel. "You can see that he is a talented player, both with and without the ball.

"All he needs to do is gain experience as he is so quick, agile and cunning. Aerial balls aren’t his speciality, but he netted from a header.

"He can do anything in attack as he reads the game well and comes to get the ball."

Alberto Gilardino scored Milan's second goal, and the much-criticized striker was pleased: "It’s always nice to score, even in a friendly.

"We played well and Pato integrated quickly. He’s a great player with so much technical ability for his age."