Player Focus: Maturing Cassano Ready For World Cup Challenge

Until recently, Antonio Cassano didn’t believe he had any realistic hope of making Italy’s squad for the World Cup. Back in the spring he gave himself a “zero percent” chance of participating. “I think about Brazil,” he joked. “It’s a beautiful country. I’d go on holiday there. For anything else however I think it will be very, very tough.” 

It might have slipped the notice of some, but his last appearance for the Azzurri was nearly two years ago, coming in the final of Euro 2012 against Spain. It seemed like Cassano had even contrived to lose the confidence of one of his greatest admirers, Cesare Prandelli. As you can no doubt imagine there has been a lot speculation as to why. How come he had fallen out of favour? Had he acted out of line in Poland and Ukraine? 

If you recall, Cassano did cause uproar when he made a homophobic comment in a press conference that summer. UEFA fined him for it and he soon apologised, insisting he meant no offence. However, considering Prandelli had written a preface to a book about homosexuality in sport before the tournament calling for further work to be done towards bringing about a culture of tolerance and acceptance, it did not go down well at all with the CT. 

Clumsy. Stupid. Cassano’s phrase was not only odious, it brought unnecessary heat on the squad. And perhaps it was then that Prandelli understood why Marcello Lippi had left him out of his squads for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups on the basis that, unwitting or otherwise, he could be a disruptive influence. Still, let’s not pretend that Prandelli was unaware of the risks when he first selected him. His reputations for ‘Cassanate’ - tantrums and gaffes - precedes him after all. 

Prandelli’s reasons for overlooking Fantantonio were more likely grounded in the following: A desire to give younger, fresher faces a chance in the interim and his experience at the Confederations Cup last summer. Never before had Prandelli had eight players come to the sideline and ask to be substituted. The conditions in Brazil required athletes. Physical fitness would therefore be the most important criteria in Prandelli’s squad selection. That seemed to rule Cassano out. 

He has not always been a model professional. That’s an understatement. Remember for instance the story of his friendship with a waiter while staying in a hotel during his time at Real Madrid. “His job was to bring me three or four cornetti after I had sex,” wrote in his biography. “He would bring cornetti upstairs, I would escort the woman to him [one of the 6-700 he claimed to have slept with] and we would make an exchange: he would take the girl and I would take the cornetti. Sex and then food, a perfect night.” 

Cassano also had a major health scare three years ago when he suffered an ischemic stroke. Lucky to survive let alone play again, some wondered whether his body would be able to absorb the stress and the strain of modern football. Yet Cassano came back for Euro 2012. The impression gleaned from that tournament however was that he was good for about an hour but nothing more for thereafter his engine began to splutter and cut out. No longer a driver, he became a passenger. And given how the intensity of Italy’s play has grown in importance to Prandelli over the last two years, it seemed improbable that Cassano would be recalled. 

The door was left open, however. “The same conversation I had with Antonio Di Natale [in 2012] applies to Cassano [in 2014],” Prandelli told Guerin Sportivo. “In the two years leading up to the European Championship I never called up Totò, but I kept an eye on him and told him: ‘Make sure you’re ready [should I select you’].” Di Natale did just that back then and Cassano, to the surprise of many, has done it now. 

His name was on Prandelli’s final 23-man list when it was published on Monday. At 31, Cassano is going to his first ever World Cup. Credit is due for making Prandelli change his mind. From the get-go this season, he was been serious about doing everything to make the squad. While his move to Parma last summer originated from Inter’s desire to get rid of him, Cassano also made it in order to get regular game-time in a World Cup year. 

Though he turned up for pre-season training in Ostuni overweight, he soon lost 10kg - “I stopped eating focaccia except for once a week” - and reminded everyone of what a talent he is. The volley Cassano scored from a corner against Bologna was one of the goals of the season in Serie A. Resigned at one stage that no matter what he did Prandelli wouldn’t take him into consideration, a phone call from him in the spring made it clear to Cassano that were he to continue playing like he had been then he might be welcomed back into the fold. 

He performed well in the physical tests organised in April and finished the season with 12 goals [only two short of his personal best] and 6 assists. Not exceptional figures but consider this: Cassano led the league in key passes, averaging 2.7 per game. He attempted more through balls than Francesco Totti and Andrea Pirlo and created more chances than anyone else in Europe’s top 5 leagues (93) apart from Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sprightly forward Max Kruse (98). His conversion rate of 20.7% also ranks 24th out of the 117 players with 10 or more goals in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and England. That’s higher than the likes of Sergio Agüero, Robin van Persie, Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi. 

His principal added value, however, remains his fantasia, that ability to see things others can’t. Reassured by his work ethic over the last week and how he played when he came on against Ireland, Prandelli has also been struck by the fact that there’s more to his game now as well. “With Donadoni he hasn’t always played out on the flanks,” Prandelli explained to Il Corriere della Sera. “He has also been a false nine.” And to good effect too. Cassano therefore gives Prandelli another option. In addition to playing wide-left or, more likely as a partner for Mario Balotelli, he can also be used like Francesco Totti is for Roma in a 4-3-3 but with Lorenzo Insigne and Alessio Cerci as the flying wingers on either side.  

That perhaps isn’t enough to placate those decrying the omissions of Giuseppe Rossi and Mattia Destro, the strikers with the best goal-to-minutes ratios in Serie A of those to make more than 5 appearances (95.4 minutes per goal for the former, 95.2 for the latter) but it does go some way to explaining Prandelli’s thinking. “Antonio has understood that this is his last chance,” he said. Italy sure better hope that Cassano makes the most of it.

Do you think Cassano deserved to be selected to go to Brazil? Let us know in the comments below