About Antonio Cassano
Italian-born former professional footballer Antonio Cassano was born on July 12, 1982, and his estimated net worth is $5 million. ‘Fantonio’ is more than just a player known for his prodigious dribbling skills, sublime assists, and stunning goals. The AC Milan forward has a history of altercations with coaches, has insulted officials, and frequently stirs up controversy with his comments made off the field.
Histrionics on the pitch are all a part of the Cassano experience, but they have turned off many foreign coaches and limited his playing time for Italy over the years.
After disrespecting president Riccardo Garrone, he was expelled from Sampdoria in late 2010, the most recent episode in a contentious career.
A team accepts all of Antonio Cassano’s baggage when they sign him. For the numerous teams he has played for, it is well worth it because he is a superb player.
Samp was relegated at the end of the season, but Cassano’s four goals for Milan’s new team helped them win the Scudetto.
Bari-born and bred
Eugenio Fascetti, a seasoned coach, helped Cassano rise through the ranks at his hometown club the day after Italy defeated Germany in the 1982 World Cup final.
He was raised by his mother in one of Bari’s harshest districts. After being identified by a scout from Bari, he joined the club’s youth program.
He was later cited as saying, “I was poor my entire life, but I never worked, mainly because I don’t know how to do anything.”
Cassano scored an incredible goal against Inter Milan after making his club debut at age 17 against Lecce in 1999, although he wasn’t exactly a productive player throughout his stay with the team. He did, however, have the kind of promise that convinced Roma to acquire him in 2001 for about US$25.5 million.
A Transfer to the Capital
Contrary to Fabio Capello at Roma, Cassano never had an argument with Fascetti. The two argued about Capello’s choice to exclude him from a practice game a few days after making his international debut during their first season together.
In his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Cassano collected five goals, but his most successful years in Rome were the 2002–03 and 2003–04 campaigns, when he scored 13 and 18 goals, respectively.
Goals are by no means the only aspect of Cassano’s game, and on occasion, he dazzled fans at the Stadio Olimpico with club captain Francesco Totti.
He left for Real Madrid in the winter transfer window of the 2005–06 season due to a dispute over his contract with the team. Cassano left Roma feeling misled, but they were happy to get paid for him because his contract was about to end that summer. He didn’t say farewell to his teammates before leaving.
Totti, who had taken Cassano under his wing when the young man arrived in Rome and was even a regular visitor to the Totti family home, said, “Seeing as he didn’t bother to come and say goodbye to us all at Roma, we’ll say it for him,”
Madrid meltdown
Despite scoring in his first four minutes of play against Real Betis, Cassano would reunite with Capello in Madrid, where the partnership would prove to be unfruitful for his career.
He also scored in the 2-1 derby victory over Atletico Madrid, but he struggled to maintain a spot in the starting lineup under Capello, with whom he once more had a falling out.
Due to his love of junk food and the fact that he arrived in Spain 5 kg overweight, Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia, also known as “the jewel of Old Bari” became a laughing stock in Madrid. The club started fining him for every gram he was overweight.
He reportedly stated that he would “walk all the way back” to rejoin Roma, but after a year and a half after transferring to Madrid, a loan move to Sampdoria turned out to be the answer.
Achievement at Sampdoria
Each of Cassano’s first three seasons at Samp saw him score between 10 and 15 goals. After initially having trouble with injuries, he made enough of an impression to secure a long-term transfer, rarely disappointing his club with his performances.
However, he was still prone to temper outbursts, and after getting dismissed and hurling his jersey at the referee in a March 2008 draw with Torino, he was handed a five-match suspension.
His relationship with fellow Italian international Giampaolo Pazzini attracted comparisons to Roberto Mancini’s and Gianluca Vialli’s partnership, which was instrumental in the club’s 1991 Scudetto victory.
Worldwide Career
Cassano debuted for the Azzurri in a November 2003 international match against Poland after representing Italy at the Under-15, 16, 12, 20 and 21 levels.
With goals against Sweden and Bulgaria, Euro 2004 was a great tournament for Cassano personally, but Italy was eliminated in the group stage.
He participated in Euro 2008 as well, however he did not score.
Due to Marcello Lippi’s reluctance to select Cassano for the disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign and the player’s reputation, Cassano has struggled on the international stage.
Retirement
Cassano joined Verona in 2017 and played in two summer friendlies for the team. Shortly after, he announced his retirement from football due to a severe lack of family time. Later on that day, he declared that he had changed his mind, would play on, and was “having a fun season” with Verona. Then, in July 2017, he once more announced that he would be leaving the team and quitting football, saying: “I’d like to make the following clear as opposed to what was stated on my wife’s official social media pages. Carolina was mistaken, I ultimately determined after careful consideration. Football will no longer be played by Antonio Cassano. I apologize to the president, the people of Verona, and all of the supporters. I need to be driven as a 35-year-old man, and right now, I feel that being near my wife and kids is my top priority.”
Antonio Cassano’s net worth is projected to be at $5 million as of 2023.
