07-01-2006
Cassano, on ‘Real Insight: “I decided to come to Real Madrid because it is the best team in the world”
Antonio Cassano, for many people, is the best player in Italian football in recenty ears. The man from Bari was the star in the studios of Real Madrid Television, where he answered questions from Antonio García Ferreras, Director of Communication and content for Real Madrid.
Antonio, let's not beat about the bush… Real Madrid is great!
Real Madrid is really great. I don't have to say it myself. A lot of people say so and I confirm it: it's the greatest team with the most fascinating stadium in the world.
You are only 23 years old, but you have already been amongst the elite for many years, in the tough competition that is the Calcio. There were a lot of Italian teams who wanted you and a lot of people said you wouldn't dare to make the move to Spain.
I never said that I wanted to leave Italy. In the end I decided on Madrid because it's the strongest club in the world. I took a very important decision, very human, as Madrid is a beautiful city, and as a sportsman, as Madrid is the greatest team in the world. It's true that there's a lot of pressure. It's normal that any team, big or small, wants to do there best against the strongest team in the world. But it's a good thing as we have to be stimulated constantly. I'm convinced that this year we will win everything. I'm sure of it, as the team is very strong.
You have been in Spain for a few days. The Italian press has lamented the loss of Antonio Cassano from their championship. Does it surprise you that the Italian press says that their football is now poorer?
They say that now, but a short while ago they wanted me out of Italy as soon as possible, as I am someone who doesn't talk to the press much, and they don't like that. Now it's a new stage for me, and if Italian football is poorer then that doesn't depend just on me. I'm really happy to be here now. I want to start on my big adventure with the greatest team in the world.
Zidane, Henry, Laudrup… there have been players who after their passage through Italy have done great things outside Italy. You too have a great technique. Do you think that the Calcio is a very tough championship and that in Spain things might be easier?
I don't know. In Italy there is a lot more tactics. The teams close off a lot. But in Spain the rhythm of play is much faster from the start to the finish. In Italy it's different, tactics are used a lot more, even about playing dirty; on the other hand here people like attractive football, as much in the strongest team in the world (Madrid) as in the lesser known teams.
Fachetti, your first trainer, has said that you have made a good move coming to Real Madrid. Why?
The trainer has spent two years telling me to get away from Rome, as for him it hurts that everyone always speaks badly of me; as I have always been the scapegoat: any problem, it's always Cassano, Cassano, Cassano... He said to me “Go to another team”, and when he found out about Madrid... I told him there was a possibility, and he said “get yourself straight over there, as there you can become even greater. Madrid will treat you magnificently and things will go better for you, as a footballer and as a person.
Do you think that as a footballer you haven't yet shown all your talent, that you can grow as a footballer?
I think so, as I have done a lot of good stuff, but also have made a lot of errors. Now I want to leave the mistakes behind me. As of yesterday I am a footballer for Madrid, and I have a lot of room to improve. It's right that a player should set new targets, as you should always be improving. You should never conform.
Your arrival at Madrid was really spectacular, with dozens of reporters waiting for you. Did you expect such a spectacular reception?
To be honest, no. They said there'd be a lot of reporters, but I wasn't expecting so many, either at the airport or at the press conference. It made me optimistic, but at the same time made me aware of my responsibility, and as soon as possible I want to demonstrate that I deserve such attention, that I am the player that they have made me out to be.
You are the second Italian footballer in the history of Real Madrid. Is it a responsibility to be a symbol of Italy at Real Madrid?
Yes, it's true; I'm the second Italian player to come here. It makes me very proud, but it's also nice that an Italian player should be playing at Real Madrid. I think that for the people who are proud of me it's nice to see an Italian playing at Real Madrid. For them too it must be nice.
I heard you say that one of your dreams was to play with Totti and the other was to play at Real Madrid. It's common dream. Did Antonio Cassano really dream of playing for Real Madrid?
It is true. I have always dreamed of playing for Madrid and at the Bernabéu, as I only played there once, two years ago, and I remember the evening before I got nervous just thinking about playing there, where there are so many memories.
When you arrived at Madrid the first thing you wanted to do was to see the pitch of Real Madrid, before seeing the facilities.
Yes, I wanted to get on the pitch as soon as possible, as I still couldn't believe I was a player for Real Madrid; walking onto the pitch I realized that I really was at the Bernabéu, something that was really moving.
You have been called “The Talented one”, “The Maradona of Bari”; your career has been spectacular, very rapid, but.... Has it been hard?
Yes, I've been defined in a lot of ways. I just want to be myself, Antonio Cassano. The comparison with Maradona flattering, but there will never be anyone else like him. For me it has all been very spectacular, but also tough; there have been ups and downs, as I have made some errors and I don't want to make them again.
When you speak of errors, you are referring to your character …In Italy it's said that your talented like no-one else, controversial, problematic with discipline.
I have been defined like that, but I want to prove to everyone that that's not me, that I'm a lad with a good heart, very generous... At 23 everyone can make a mistake. I've made mistakes and I don't want to repeat them. But I have paid personally for my errors.
Oddly it was the tough trainer Capello who got the most out of you as a footballer.
Capello treated me in a way that others didn't know how to. He treated me like a son, very well, giving me advice that I know today to be important. He did me a lot of good.
Cassano seems more mature, taking responsibility for mistakes he may have made in the past. Bored of a reputation for controversy.
I only want to show that I'm a footballer and nothing more. I'm sick of the label of being a controversial player, who makes problems. I'll say it again: I made mistakes and I paid for them. Now I want to forget about the past, the errors, and start again, with my head held high, only doing good things, including in behaviour. For me it's important, it's a revenge on those who described me as different from how I am.
You are a lad from Bari, and you're proud of it. Is your triumph in arriving at Real Madrid also a triumph for southern Italian football?
I'm very proud of my region, as it's a region which resembles me. I have given a lot. And I, coming here, am giving a lot to them, and they must be as proud of me as I have always been as proud of them.
The Rome of Capello paid Bari 30 million euros for an under 20 player, the highest sum paid for such a young player in the Calcio. Did you enjoy Rome?
I had very good times with Rome, but also bad periods. They paid me a lot, but I also gave a lot to the club. We were at the top for three seasons. We played two finals of the Italian Cup, we came second twice... I did some good things. People said I was paid a lot and did nothing, but in fact I scored 53 goals in four seasons, apart from penalties and free kicks. I think that I gave something back to Rome too.
Rome was a great team, with Batistuta, Totti, Montella, Samuel… but in your entire career, what are you most proud of, what's the victory that you remember most fondly?
I will always remember, even though it was a great disappointment, the European Cup of 2004. We were doing well... I think that if we had got into the quarter finals, Italy could have done something great.
I remember an image, one of your goals in Bulgaria in the last minute, when you thought you'd gone into the next round. But in the end you didn't go through because of the draw between Sweden and Denmark. In this image you were crying inconsolably.
Yes. I was sure. Ten minutes before Del Piero had told me “Antonio, if you score we'll go into the quarter finals. I was still sure of it. And so just after scoring I saw the sadness of the bench. Peruzzi told be “Good, good... but...” At that moment I was so disappointed that I didn't even play the last two minutes. A was off crying my eyes out.
You can play as a centre forward, forward, midfielder... Where do you feel most comfortable? Will it be easier for you to score here?
For me, it's wherever the trainer wants me. There's no problem. The most important thing is to be able to make my contribution to Madrid. My position on the pitch is up to the trainer. I don't know, as all the defenders, facing big teams, are very alert. And when they are facing Real Madrid they are even more alert. In Italy it's hard to put in goals as it's a very physical football, very tactical... Here there seems to be more space, but I know how much, as the pace of the game during the whole 90 minutes is very fast.
People speak of your talent, your speed. If Antonio Cassano had to explain to kids what type of player he was, how would he do it?
As a footballer who likes football, who has fun... For me it's a laugh: smile and make people smile with my plays. It's the only thing I could say to a child. Of my mistakes I'd say: don't do the same, as there's no need to repeat them. I'd say “enjoy it, as football is the nicest thing in the world”.
This idea of football maybe comes from where you learned it, Bari Vecchia, your neighbourhood, where you played with your friends. Was it in the streets and squares of Bari where you learned to play football?
Exactly. We played in the street, barefoot... It's there that I learned to think that way. Because there, from the morning (sometimes we'd bunk off school to play), I was always taught to enjoy myself and entertain... that's the most important thing.
If you travel around the south of Italy, there are a lot of legends about Antonio Cassano. I was told that when Cassano played as a kid in the streets you were always obliged to play with a friend of yours who had polio, and you always set him up with some goals.
That's right. We played with a handicapped boy, and although we played against stronger or older kids, I always wanted him to be on my side. He had problems, and it made him happier, letting him play. I made him play, and as I was the oldest kid in the neighbourhood, I demanded that he played. I set him up near the goal, that way he put in goals and smiled. And to see him smile made me very happy, as he was always sad due to his problem, but if we could give him a game, a goal, he was the happiest kid in the world.
Do you imagine what it would be like to go back to the streets of your Bari, your Adriatic sea? What would happen in Bari if Antonio Cassano appeared there now?
Right now it would be a bit difficult, as when I went back to Bari three years ago the people treated me like a saint; from the morning until 8 in the evening people came to my house, including strangers, to congratulate me and they said “we are proud of you. Keep it up”. And for me, people treating me like that makes me very proud.
There you were born as a footballer, and with a mother who did everything for you. Is she going to come and live in Spain?
For the moment she's still in Italy, but you're right: she's the woman of my life, along with my girlfriend, as she did everything for me, gave me everything, she gave me the food off her plate to feed me. I will always be thankful to her as she was very important for me. She told me “wherever you go, even if it's the North Pole, I'll follow you, because with you I'm the happiest woman alive. That's the important thing.
And you are going to live here with your girlfriend. Does she like football? I've been told she still doesn't understand the rules.
When we got to the airport she whispered “where are we?” As she didn't expect such a reception, and me neither. She's a girl who during these last six months has helped me not to make mistakes. She has helped me to understand a lot of things, and I am delighted with her, for the first time I'm in love. She's the right person to help me develop. I want to develop by her side as long as I possibly can. But no, she likes football, but she still doesn't understand the rules very well. I'm explaining it to her bit by bit. She has still never come to see me play, but now, as soon as I am going to play, I want her to be there to enjoy it with me.
This year you have the challenge of playing for Real Madrid, arriving in mid-season. And you come saying that we have a team capable of winning everything.
We don't have to be scared of anybody. It's enough to look at the names of the players, to see what they have won, to see how good they are, to not be afraid of anyone. Everyone is talking about Barça, Juve, Chelsea... but for me Madrid is better than all of those teams, and nobody will have an easy time against us.
I think one of the definitions of Cassano is a fearless man, who isn't scared of playing on any pitch against any rival.
Yes, I think the important thing is not to be scared of playing football, as if you are afraid it would be better to change jobs. For example, I think that the Bernabéu is an extra stimulus for a player: sometimes things go well and people applaud; other times it doesn't go so well and they whistle. It's part of the game. There's no reason to be scared; you have to carry on being yourself and use your head.
It's a World Cup year. A lot of people say that for Lippi your signing for Madrid is good news, that you can become the “lethal weapon” of the national team.
Yes, that's right. Lippi has always had good things to say about me, and I am grateful for that. That I can become a lethal weapon? I want to start off by playing here. And from there, if I'm good, I think I could contribute something so that our national team can do something big in the World Cup.
If you had to make a wish for Real Madrid, what would it be?
For me, the dream is to win the Champions League. That's the one. Personally, one day, who knows, I'd love to win the Golden Ball, as at Real Madrid you are more visible and therefore you have a better chance. I think the Champions League is possible. It's a dream that I hope will now come true. And until I hang up my boots I'm going to give everything I've got to get the most precious trophy, the Golden Ball.
In fact one of the photos Cassano had taken at the Bernabéu was with the Champions League Cups. If you score a goal you said that you would dedicate it to Alfredo di Stefano.
That's right. The first goal I put in – I hope it is soon – I will dedicate to those who have been by my side during the hard years at Rome. And I will also dedicate it to Alfredo Di Stefano. I have been told –I'm too young to remember- that he was one of the best players of all time. I know that right now he's going through a difficult time, and I will dedicate the first goal to him, even though I don't know him. I hope to meet him soon as he is the honorary president of the club and I'd like to wish him a quick recovery.
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REAL MADRID Fan Club, ყველაზე მაგარი კლუბის ფან-კლუბი, part 2
