He could call Fabio Capello “a piece of shit,” eat pastries the night before big tournaments while 10 kilos overweight, sleep with 700 women by age 25 — and still manage to wreck his own career. Antonio Cassano: messy, brilliant, and utterly unforgettable.
Antonio Cassano: Quick snapshot
- Born in a poor family in Bari; rose through Bari’s youth ranks (50 appearances: 6 goals, 2 assists).
- Broke through at Roma at 19 for €28.5 million — at the time the most expensive teenager in the world.
- Serie A’s Best Young Player in 2001 (and again in 2003).
- Italy: 39 caps, 10 goals.
From Bari to the Eternal City — and the first cracks
The “kid from Bari,” nicknamed the “Golden Boy,” left the south for Rome after showing prodigious talent. Signing for Roma at 19 made headlines — and confirmed the football world’s faith in his gifts. But talent and temperament are not the same thing.
Right away at the Stadio Olimpico, Cassano’s volatile personality surfaced. He admitted later that as a youth he’d flirted with a life of petty crime; as a professional he frequently clashed with authority. He once openly insulted his coach — Fabio Capello — and even berated referees during matches. Still, on the pitch he produced moments of magic that earned him many pardons.
Luigi Del Neri temporarily benched him to teach discipline, but a later coach reinstated him — until Luciano Spalletti arrived and found Cassano impossible to control. As Cassano himself might say with a shrug:
“This is Rome, not Udine. I’m the boss here.”
Friendship, fights and a €5 million exit to Real Madrid
Cassano’s partnership with Francesco Totti was legendary — on the field they sometimes looked telepathic — but even that relationship soured over money: a row about a television appearance fee made headlines. By January 2006, with his Roma contract near its end, the club sold him to Real Madrid for a surprisingly low €5 million.
At Roma: 161 matches across all competitions, 52 goals, 10 assists, and an Italian Supercup. Not bad for a career full of “what ifs.”
Never in my life have I had such perfect understanding on the pitch as I did with Francesco Totti.
Real Madrid: the highs, the lows, and the pastry problem
Believing he’d “caught God by the beard” at Real, Cassano instead surrendered to two lifelong passions: sex and food. Madrid nicknamed him the “fat short guy.” Even overweight, flashes of brilliance came — but consistency did not.
When Fabio Capello returned to Real in 2006, Cassano’s insults only earned him a new label: his tantrums became the subject of the Spanish press coinage “casshanata” — shorthand for his on-field meltdowns. After 29 appearances (4 goals, 3 assists) and a La Liga winner’s medal, Real loaned him to Sampdoria and later sold him permanently.
“You’re just a piece of crap! You can coach about as well as I can buy a real product with Monopoly money.”
The patience of the “royal club” turned out not to be endless, and Antonio — who played only 29 matches (4 goals, 3 assists) but still collected a La Liga winner’s medal — was shipped off to Sampdoria, first on loan and then on a permanent deal.
Antonio Cassano on the roller-coaster:
“Real chose me, I chose Real — the dream came true. Then I threw my chance out the window.”
“70% of what happened at Real was my fault, but there were negative moments from the club too. I can give 100% only if they love me.”
“I lost 10 kg in pre-season! I was fit, but Capello didn’t pick me for the third game. I said all I thought of him. I apologized later.”
Sampdoria, Milan, Inter — flashes of redemption and a health scare
Sampdoria gave him a second life. That revival led to moves to AC Milan (40 games: 8 goals, 16 assists — Scudetto and Supercoppa Italiana) and Inter (39 games: 9 goals, 15 assists). He managed to behave better — apart from playful spats with Zlatan Ibrahimović and a scuffle with Andrea Stramaccioni — but then suffered a heart attack. After that, his career trajectory changed irreversibly.
“I am grateful to Sampdoria for giving me a chance to return to the top level after my failure at Real. I owe them, and perhaps as a sporting director, I could be of help to the club.”
Later chapters included Parma (56 appearances, 18 goals, 10 assists), another spell at Sampdoria (in total: 140 games, 43 goals, 43 assists across spells), a failed restart at Verona, and a string of retirement announcements delivered in true Cassano fashion — loud, contradictory, and theatrical.
Antonio Cassano in The national team: brilliance, expulsions and a bittersweet finale
Cassano’s Azzurri story was as inconsistent as his club life. Debuting in 2003, he shone at Euro 2004, was left out of the 2006 World Cup squad (he believes whisper campaigns did him in), was recalled for Euro 2008, and then missed out on the 2010 World Cup. His last great contribution came during the Euro 2012 qualifiers and finals.
Total for Italy: 39 caps, 10 goals.
Cassano’s version of national-team drama:
“I’m sure I missed the 2006 World Cup because someone told Marcello Lippi lies about me.”
Life after football: TV, punditry and a change of gear
Once his pro career ended, Cassano found a new stage. He starred on TV shows, gave blunt interviews, and reinvented himself as a colorful pundit — opinionated, provocative, and undeniably watchable. He also took sports-director courses; if he can channel his passion and intellect, perhaps the future holds a different kind of influence.
He has said he’d love to work with Marcelo Bielsa (a revolutionary coach with iron discipline) and admires former Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio for his eye for talent.
Antonio Cassano: his life in his quotes
He calls himself “the greatest talent of the last 20 years,” admits he wasted half his potential, but remains unapologetic:
“Football gave me popularity and wealth, and yet I gave only 40–50% of what I could’ve given. Imagine if I’d given everything!”
Antonio embraces his hedonistic side:
“I needed a lot of sex. Even when we were locked at the Trigoria training base, I’d sneak girls in because I had the key to the back gate.”
“If I hadn’t been a footballer, I’d have become a bandit — most kids I knew ended up in mafia clans.”
And family life cooled the headlines: despite a playboy image, Antonio Cassano has been married for 10 years to Carolina Marcialis, a former water polo player. They have two sons and, publicly at least, avoid scandal.
“David Beckham was a true rock star. He knew every celebrity, and every celebrity knew him — yet it was simply astonishing how humble this guy was.”
“Pep Guardiola, with whom I became friends in Rome, was a fantastic player and went on to become an outstanding coach. He’s probably the only one who can make players who think they’re stars shut up and follow his instructions — and he does it without force, purely with charisma.”
“The toughest opponent I ever faced was Paolo Maldini.”
“I enjoyed talking with Yuto Nagatomo — no matter what you said to him, he hardly understood a thing, just kept smiling.”
“I was never a bad person, just lazy. If I was left out of the lineup because of extra weight, I’d just shrug my shoulders. Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo — if he ever gained weight, he’d immediately start grinding, get back on the pitch, and score.”
“I always loved to eat a lot, and I was convinced that once I stopped playing, I’d become incredibly fat. But so far, I’m holding up.”
“I turned down Juventus three times because I didn’t want to be a ‘tin soldier.’”
“If you like a girl, you have to make a move. If it works — great; if it doesn’t — no big deal, there will be others.”
The ultomate rule by Antonio Cassano
“You should end your football career by the same rule you use with women: if she no longer turns you on, just walk away — and if football stops giving you pleasure, hang up your boots.”
