By Xinhua
Rome : AC Milan defender Alessandro Nesta extended his contract with the club till 2011 June.
Nesta, 31, a former Lazio star who is regarded as one of the world's best central defenders, has been with Milan since 2002. He was also a part of the Italian team that won the World Cup in Germany last year.
In the run-up to the World Cup, world soccer legend Pele' called Nesta as 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.
He won one league title with Lazio. Nesta's extension follows that of club legend and central defender 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 levels and won everything with Milan, including seven Serie A titles and four European Cup and Champions League trophies.
Despite a recurrence of his knee problem, Maldini has said he is determined to play against Liverpool next Wednesday and avenge Milan's shock defeat to the Premier League giants in 2005.
A Milan win would put them just two behind nine-time winners Real Madrid, with seven titles, and leave Liverpool on five.