Antonio Cassano, the rebel genius

[AyeDubbleYoo]

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article5263546.ece

 

Football is filled with so many military parallels that it’s the closest thing to war without violence (usually, anyway). Players are regimented, they train like soldiers under the eye of a drill sergeant, their coach. Team-mates build the kind of bond that is comparable to that which exists between those who fight and serve together. And, of course, there’s the discipline, the conformity and the coalescing to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Then along comes Antonio Cassano, a guy for whom discipline and conformity take a back seat to honesty and self-indulgence. How honest is he? Well, a few pages into his book, Dico tutto (e se fa caldo gioco all’ombra), translated as “I’ll tell you everything (and if it’s hot I’ll play in the shade)”, Cassano shares the fact that, when he was 12, he had a crush on his teacher. Sweet, right? Except he also tells us that he would go to the bathroom thinking about her and “well, you can imagine what came next”.

 

...

 

And what about the self-indulgence? Cassano loves football, but he also loves sex and food. He says he has slept with some “600 to 700” women, which, given that he is 26, is quite a feat. However, now that he plans to get married, he’ll presumably never match the late Wilt Chamberlain, the legendary basketball star, who claims that he had 20,000 sexual partners, which works out at just over one a day from the age of 15.

 

“I spent the first 17 years of my life dirt-poor,” said Cassano, who was raised by a single mother in one of the most crime-ridden neighbourhoods in Italy and said he is certain that had it not been for football, he would have become a hoodlum. “Then I spent nine years living the life of a millionaire. That means I need another eight years living the way I do now and then I’ll be even.”

 

“Winning is nice, but it doesn’t make you happy,” he writes.

 

“The problem is that we live in a culture obsessed with success. We fool ourselves into thinking we have to do our best and make sacrifices to succeed. But why? Trophies come and go. Once you’ve retired, it will all be gone, they’ll just be numbers in an almanac. And, except for [Diego] Maradona and Pelé and maybe a couple others, nobody will remember you or what you’ve won.”

 

“What is truly important is being happy now. I know I haven’t given 100 per cent physically or mentally to this game. At best, I gave 50 per cent. Maybe a tiny bit more in the good years. But so what? Thanks to my talent, I live like a king, I play football and I have a great time. If I had wanted to give 100 per cent, I would have stayed at Real Madrid, sacrificed lots of things, done my very best and I probably would have succeeded. Instead, I’m here at Sampdoria and I love it.”

 

 

What do you reckon? People always go on about players not giving 100% and 'wasted talent', but you can't help but warm to his honesty. If I had his talent, I might be the same!

[Neil]

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article5263546.ece

 

Football is filled with so many military parallels that it’s the closest thing to war without violence (usually, anyway). Players are regimented, they train like soldiers under the eye of a drill sergeant, their coach. Team-mates build the kind of bond that is comparable to that which exists between those who fight and serve together. And, of course, there’s the discipline, the conformity and the coalescing to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Then along comes Antonio Cassano, a guy for whom discipline and conformity take a back seat to honesty and self-indulgence. How honest is he? Well, a few pages into his book, Dico tutto (e se fa caldo gioco all’ombra), translated as “I’ll tell you everything (and if it’s hot I’ll play in the shade)”, Cassano shares the fact that, when he was 12, he had a crush on his teacher. Sweet, right? Except he also tells us that he would go to the bathroom thinking about her and “well, you can imagine what came next”.

 

...

 

And what about the self-indulgence? Cassano loves football, but he also loves sex and food. He says he has slept with some “600 to 700” women, which, given that he is 26, is quite a feat. However, now that he plans to get married, he’ll presumably never match the late Wilt Chamberlain, the legendary basketball star, who claims that he had 20,000 sexual partners, which works out at just over one a day from the age of 15.

 

“I spent the first 17 years of my life dirt-poor,” said Cassano, who was raised by a single mother in one of the most crime-ridden neighbourhoods in Italy and said he is certain that had it not been for football, he would have become a hoodlum. “Then I spent nine years living the life of a millionaire. That means I need another eight years living the way I do now and then I’ll be even.”

 

“Winning is nice, but it doesn’t make you happy,” he writes.

 

“The problem is that we live in a culture obsessed with success. We fool ourselves into thinking we have to do our best and make sacrifices to succeed. But why? Trophies come and go. Once you’ve retired, it will all be gone, they’ll just be numbers in an almanac. And, except for [Diego] Maradona and Pelé and maybe a couple others, nobody will remember you or what you’ve won.”

 

“What is truly important is being happy now. I know I haven’t given 100 per cent physically or mentally to this game. At best, I gave 50 per cent. Maybe a tiny bit more in the good years. But so what? Thanks to my talent, I live like a king, I play football and I have a great time. If I had wanted to give 100 per cent, I would have stayed at Real Madrid, sacrificed lots of things, done my very best and I probably would have succeeded. Instead, I’m here at Sampdoria and I love it.”

 

 

What do you reckon? People always go on about players not giving 100% and 'wasted talent', but you can't help but warm to his honesty. If I had his talent, I might be the same!

 

Some striking comments but I think a lot of the bold bit is true.

 

And I guess you have to accept his honesty - he's most likely speaking for a fair few players in the world.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

I'm amaed that he has been this honest in public, DURING his career. The boy does have a fantastic talent though. It may seem pompous what he's saying, but I agree, If he cared at all he'd be at a top club and a mainstay in the Azzuri attack.

 

edit: He's only 26 ffs. It's not like he's winding down his career, when he's saying this.

[Newcastle Fan]

I'm sure that he was the one who literally walked away from a game while its being played.

[NG32]

Wanker, he gets paid lots of money to work hard.  He is robbing the fans.  Cunt.

[Guest Sniffer]

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article5263546.ece

 

Football is filled with so many military parallels that its the closest thing to war without violence (usually, anyway). Players are regimented, they train like soldiers under the eye of a drill sergeant, their coach. Team-mates build the kind of bond that is comparable to that which exists between those who fight and serve together. And, of course, theres the discipline, the conformity and the coalescing to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Then along comes Antonio Cassano, a guy for whom discipline and conformity take a back seat to honesty and self-indulgence. How honest is he? Well, a few pages into his book, Dico tutto (e se fa caldo gioco allombra), translated as Ill tell you everything (and if its hot Ill play in the shade), Cassano shares the fact that, when he was 12, he had a crush on his teacher. Sweet, right? Except he also tells us that he would go to the bathroom thinking about her and well, you can imagine what came next.

 

...

 

And what about the self-indulgence? Cassano loves football, but he also loves sex and food. He says he has slept with some 600 to 700 women, which, given that he is 26, is quite a feat. However, now that he plans to get married, hell presumably never match the late Wilt Chamberlain, the legendary basketball star, who claims that he had 20,000 sexual partners, which works out at just over one a day from the age of 15.

 

I spent the first 17 years of my life dirt-poor, said Cassano, who was raised by a single mother in one of the most crime-ridden neighbourhoods in Italy and said he is certain that had it not been for football, he would have become a hoodlum. Then I spent nine years living the life of a millionaire. That means I need another eight years living the way I do now and then Ill be even.

 

Winning is nice, but it doesnt make you happy, he writes.

 

The problem is that we live in a culture obsessed with success. We fool ourselves into thinking we have to do our best and make sacrifices to succeed. But why? Trophies come and go. Once youve retired, it will all be gone, theyll just be numbers in an almanac. And, except for [Diego] Maradona and Pelé and maybe a couple others, nobody will remember you or what youve won.

 

What is truly important is being happy now. I know I havent given 100 per cent physically or mentally to this game. At best, I gave 50 per cent. Maybe a tiny bit more in the good years. But so what? Thanks to my talent, I live like a king, I play football and I have a great time. If I had wanted to give 100 per cent, I would have stayed at Real Madrid, sacrificed lots of things, done my very best and I probably would have succeeded. Instead, Im here at Sampdoria and I love it.

 

 

What do you reckon? People always go on about players not giving 100% and 'wasted talent', but you can't help but warm to his honesty. If I had his talent, I might be the same!

 

Some striking comments but I think a lot of the bold bit is true.

 

And I guess you have to accept his honesty - he's most likely speaking for a fair few players in the world.

On the contrary, nobody will remember him. In fact, most people will have never even heard of him. To say only a handful of players will be remembered is also rubbish. Even just at Newcastle all of us can list players over the years that they look back on with fond memories. Basically, this bloke is a loser who can't be arsed to make the most of his talent. It's what sets winners apart from also rans...work ethic. Best loved the good times but he also recognized the need to work at his game.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Wanker, he gets paid lots of money to work hard.  He is robbing the fans.  Cunt.

 

Does he not entertain the fans though?

[NG32]

Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't, i just dont like this attitude of not putting it all in.

 

Lazy Italian.

[Guest Sniffer]

Italian football is so  fucking boring anything passes for a bit more entertainment.

[Neil]

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article5263546.ece

 

Football is filled with so many military parallels that it’s the closest thing to war without violence (usually, anyway). Players are regimented, they train like soldiers under the eye of a drill sergeant, their coach. Team-mates build the kind of bond that is comparable to that which exists between those who fight and serve together. And, of course, there’s the discipline, the conformity and the coalescing to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Then along comes Antonio Cassano, a guy for whom discipline and conformity take a back seat to honesty and self-indulgence. How honest is he? Well, a few pages into his book, Dico tutto (e se fa caldo gioco all’ombra), translated as “I’ll tell you everything (and if it’s hot I’ll play in the shade)”, Cassano shares the fact that, when he was 12, he had a crush on his teacher. Sweet, right? Except he also tells us that he would go to the bathroom thinking about her and “well, you can imagine what came next”.

 

...

 

And what about the self-indulgence? Cassano loves football, but he also loves sex and food. He says he has slept with some “600 to 700” women, which, given that he is 26, is quite a feat. However, now that he plans to get married, he’ll presumably never match the late Wilt Chamberlain, the legendary basketball star, who claims that he had 20,000 sexual partners, which works out at just over one a day from the age of 15.

 

“I spent the first 17 years of my life dirt-poor,” said Cassano, who was raised by a single mother in one of the most crime-ridden neighbourhoods in Italy and said he is certain that had it not been for football, he would have become a hoodlum. “Then I spent nine years living the life of a millionaire. That means I need another eight years living the way I do now and then I’ll be even.”

 

“Winning is nice, but it doesn’t make you happy,” he writes.

 

“The problem is that we live in a culture obsessed with success. We fool ourselves into thinking we have to do our best and make sacrifices to succeed. But why? Trophies come and go. Once you’ve retired, it will all be gone, they’ll just be numbers in an almanac. And, except for [Diego] Maradona and Pelé and maybe a couple others, nobody will remember you or what you’ve won.”

 

“What is truly important is being happy now. I know I haven’t given 100 per cent physically or mentally to this game. At best, I gave 50 per cent. Maybe a tiny bit more in the good years. But so what? Thanks to my talent, I live like a king, I play football and I have a great time. If I had wanted to give 100 per cent, I would have stayed at Real Madrid, sacrificed lots of things, done my very best and I probably would have succeeded. Instead, I’m here at Sampdoria and I love it.”

 

 

What do you reckon? People always go on about players not giving 100% and 'wasted talent', but you can't help but warm to his honesty. If I had his talent, I might be the same!

 

Some striking comments but I think a lot of the bold bit is true.

 

And I guess you have to accept his honesty - he's most likely speaking for a fair few players in the world.

On the contrary, nobody will remember him. In fact, most people will have never even heard of him. To say only a handful of players will be remembered is also rubbish. Even just at Newcastle all of us can list players over the years that they look back on with fond memories. Basically, this bloke is a loser who can't be arsed to make the most of his talent. It's what sets winners apart from also rans...work ethic. Best loved the good times but he also recognized the need to work at his game.

 

Didn't say I thought he was brilliant for saying/doing these things, but it's refreshing to hear someone be so honest in public.

[oldtype]

Different people feel fulfilled by different things. If that's the lifestyle that makes him happy, than who are we to say he's wrong?

 

...As long as he's not playing for the toon.

[Guest firetotheworks]

George Best didnt give it his all, he was still a fucking good footballer though. Cassano of the same ilk, but lower on the scale. He should be giving 100% but if he reckons he can still do his job giving 50% then power to him, sad thing is that it probably wont come back to haunt him.

[NG32]

Lazy.

[Guest Sniffer]

George Best didnt give it his all, he was still a f***ing good footballer though. Cassano of the same ilk, but lower on the scale. He should be giving 100% but if he reckons he can still do his job giving 50% then power to him, sad thing is that it probably wont come back to haunt him.

Bollocks. Don't judge Best on the latter part of his carreer. While he still had an appetite for the game he was a superb player who gave 100% every time he stepped on the pitch. Once the party life took over completely is another thing and I'd agree he was a shadow of his former self. I really shoudn't have used the comparison of Besty with some no name italian.

[Zero]

You can say "fuck off" as a football fans but you could understand his feelings as an human.

[Syrette]

Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't, i just dont like this attitude of not putting it all in.

 

Lazy Italian.

 

He still manages to do a good job for them though.

 

If he was being lazy and underperforming, then I'd agree.

[Guest firetotheworks]

George Best didnt give it his all, he was still a f***ing good footballer though. Cassano of the same ilk, but lower on the scale. He should be giving 100% but if he reckons he can still do his job giving 50% then power to him, sad thing is that it probably wont come back to haunt him.

Bollocks. Don't judge Best on the latter part of his carreer. While he still had an appetite for the game he was a superb player who gave 100% every time he stepped on the pitch. Once the party life took over completely is another thing and I'd agree he was a shadow of his former self. I really shoudn't have used the comparison of Besty with some no name italian.

 

My point was that there are lazy players who still produce the goods. The only difference in this case is that Cassanos admitting it. Even for us Ginola, Robert were lazy but you'd prefer them to 'up for the rough Damien Duff'

Theres plenty of others, best was just the big one I chose, and the party lifestyle just concretes my point anyway, because it draws a further parallel with Cassano.

[Guest Sniffer]

Concretes your point? 

[Guest firetotheworks]

Concretes your point? 

 

...and your point being?

[Tooj]

One of my favourite players since his Bari days.

[Pilko]

One of my favourite players since his Bari days.

 

I think he'd fucking hate you, except for the fact that he probably couldn't be bothered. 

[Mr. Snrub]

Going out with a 17 year old aswell.

 

Fair play to him, taking full advantage of the life he's been blessed with.

[Shak]

"If I had wanted to give 100 per cent, I would have stayed at Real Madrid, sacrificed lots of things, done my very best and I probably would have succeeded. Instead, I’m here at Sampdoria and I love it.”

 

Laughed out loud reading that.

[Guest Phil K]

Honesty is vanishingly rare everywhere not just football.

Only those talking politics are as deceiptful, conniving, corrupt, self-deceiving, self-righteous, self-important, untrustworthy and outright dishonest as footballers though

So he makes a refreshing change.

[Guest Phil K]

Some striking comments but I think a lot of the bold bit is true.

And I guess you have to accept his honesty - he's most likely speaking for a fair few players in the world.

No offence but thats utter tripe.

ANY club, INCLUDING those winning all the time talk of all matches not just the ones where they won trophies.

Names are remembered, and incidents grow in the telling.