Sabato made his career debut with Inter in 1976, making his Serie A debut on 7 November against Torino. In 1977, at the age of 19, he was sent on loan to Forlì for two seasons in Serie C. As a starter, he played a leading role in helping the team gain promotion to Serie C1. During the 1979–80 season, he played in Serie B on loan with Sambenedettese, making 16 appearances. In 1980, he went on loan to Caranzaro for two seasons in Serie A, where he became a permanent member of the starting line-up. He was called back by Inter in 1982, where he became a valuable member of the starting line-up. Due to his difficulties with Inter team-mate Liam Brady, he moved to Torino during the 1985–86 season, where he spent four seasons, moving to Ascoli for two seasons in 1989, following the club into Serie B. He ended his career after moving to Serie C club Alessandria in 1991, spending two seasons at the club. In total he made 283 appearances in Serie A, scoring 14 goals, also making 46 appearances in Serie B, scoring 2 goals, and 58 appearances in Serie C, scoring 3 goals.