Another of AC Milan's defensive old guard renewed his allegiance to the Champions League finalists Friday when Alessandro Nesta extended his contract for four years.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nesta, 31, a former Lazio star who is regarded as one of the world's best central defenders, has been with Milan since 2002.
Nesta has long been a mainstay of the Italy side that won the World Cup last year.
In the run-up to the Cup, world soccer legend Pele' called Nesta Italy's "true phenomenon".
He said Brazil "would be unbeatable with someone like him in the side".
Nesta, who joined Milan for some 30 million euros, won the Champions League in his first season with Carlo Ancelotti's side, and the scudetto the next.
He won one league title with Lazio.
Nesta's extension follows that of club legend and central defence partner Paolo Maldini, who on Wednesday said he would play on for another year "despite (his) creaking knees."
Maldini, 38, has set records at club and international level and won everything there is to win with Milan, including seven Serie A titles and four European Cup/Champions League trophies.
Despite a recurrence of his knee problem, he has said he is determined to play against Liverpool next Wednesday and avenge Milan's shock 2005 defeat to the Premier League giants.
A Milan win would put them just two behind nine-time winners Real Madrid, with seven titles, and leave Liverpool on five.
Ahead of the Liverpool clash, Milan will rest its first team in their second-last Serie A fixture against Udinese - the swansong for another defensive great, 41-year-old Alessandro Costacurta.
