It was 1999 and only his second game for Bari. Inter were in town and out of nowhere a skinny kid goes on a great dribble which takes him past Laurent Blanc and Christian Panucci before sweeping the ball home for a last-minute winner.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwZn4vtIA7s&feature=related
“That was the moment that changed everything. If it had not been for that goal against Inter then I might have ended up a criminal.”
I don’t know what can be said about the talent of the Bari Brawler Antonio Cassano. Much is always discussed about how far he could go and what kind of player could be. Cassanato which was a neologism term coined by his former coach Fabio Capello, which meant short temper and uncontrollable. Cassano who is constantly praised by his skill and has always been touted as the saviour for Italy, ever since that goal against Inter, is always being put in the spot light but mainly for all the wrong reasons especially recently. Antonio Cassano though wants to fight back and maybe tell his side of the story and deservedly so he has come out with his autobiography entitled “Vi Dico Tutto” (I’ll Tell You Everything).
He discusses everything from childhood and his soccer career but mainly focuses on his soccer career and also talking a lot of truth and trashing former players, coaches, and fans.
Here are a few quotes from the book:
On Fabio Capello:
“At Madrid, he made me warm up for a whole half and then didn’t bring me on. I told him, you’re a piece of s**t and as fake as monopoly money.”
To Luciano Spalletti during a match against Udinese :
“Can’t you see your coaching a f**k’n star, not those useless [expletive] at Udinese. You’re in my house now.”
On Francesco Totti:
“We went on a talk show and he took 80 percent of the appearance and left me with 20.”
On Gabriel Di Batistuta:
“Stuck-up: he walked around as if he had a stink under his nose.”
On himself:
“I’ve slept with between 600 and 700 women,” he boasts, although that's a pretty low figure going by the claims of most Italian males. “At least 20 of them have been involved in the world of show business.”
“It was so easy in Madrid to get women, they would be brought to my room and then afterwards I would be so hungry that one of the staff had to bring me at least four croissants and I would give him the girl.”
"Many people I knew were recruited into gangs. That game and my talent took me away from a possible life of s***.
"I used to gamble on the streets, 10, 15 or even 20 thousand lire (up to about €3) on the team I used to play for. I wasn't stupid, as I wanted the money and I wanted a percentage too.
"There were usually shootings, police and ambulances. I was poor and I would like to make it clear that I have never worked in my life; it's because I don't know how to do anything.
"I have lived 17 years without any grace and then nine years as a millionaire. There are still eight years to go before it evens out."
Antonio Cassano was blessed with great ability and skill with the soccer ball but continues to put that on the back burner as he tends to always create controversy and put himself into the wrong situations. The only thing I can personally say with some sympathy is that much can’t be said about someone’s life until you walk in there shoes.
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