Euro 2012: Cassano 'fantastic' despite lack of fitness, says Italy coach

Italy striker Antonio Cassano might only have one half of football in his legs, but his “fantastic” performance in the 2-1 win over Germany makes his selection worthwhile, coach Cesare Prandelli said Friday.

Cassano fought off two German defenders to cross the ball for Mario Balotelli’s opener in the Euro 2012 encounter in Warsaw Thursday, and continued to prove a nuisance to the German defence until being substituted on 58 minutes.

“Antonio (Cassano) showed his best performance of the tournament so far, in terms of intensity, what he showed on the pitch, how he ran and fought,” Prandelli said.

“I knew he might be one of our key players. He might have 50 minutes in his legs but these are 50 fantastic minutes.”

The 29-year-old AC Milan striker only returned to football in April after undergoing minor heart surgery in November following a stroke. He is unable to play the full 90 minutes but has appeared in every Euro 2012 match so far.