#15 Antonio Cassano – Il Bambino Terribile (The Terrible Infant)
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As talented as some of the best footballers in the world, Cassano arrived in Italian football as an unassuming youngster who possessed an incredible amount of talent. But his penchant for finding himself in trouble wherever he played earned him the nickname, “The Terrible Infant”.
He started off with his hometown club AS Bari and his performances soon earned him another nickname – Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia (The Jewel of Old Bari). But soon, it was Cassano’s antics that came to the fore and not his football.
He had formed a sensational partnership with Francesco Totti, but Cassano had issues both with Totti and his manager Fabio Capello. Capello soon left and Cassano's relationship with the manager did not improve when Luciano Spalleti took over.
He fell out with Totti after both appeared together on a TV show and the Roma captain pocketed 80% of the appearance fee that was given.
When he moved to Real Madrid, he again had a falling out with Capello, once even calling the veteran manager “more fake than Monopoly money”. His lifestyle at Madrid affected his football and ensured he missed out on going to Germany for the 2006 World Cup, which Italy won.
His antics went on wherever he played, as referees, managers, club chairmen, no one was spared. If not for his combustible temperament, Cassano would have been an absolutely terrifying player on the pitch.
