Cassano: I was meant to be better than Totti, Baggio and Del Piero, but ‘never reached’ my prime
Former Italian striker Antonio Cassano argues he was more ‘creative’ than Francesco Totti and had more physicality than Roberto Baggio: ‘But I never reached my prime.’
Former Serie A star Cassano released some bold statements in his latest appearance on the Viva El Football podcast, which he hosts alongside Daniele Adani and Nicola Ventola.
Cassano: I was ‘more creative’ than Totti
A follower asked Cassano whether, in his prime, he was better than legendary strikers Baggio, Del Piero and Totti, and he replied without hesitation: “In my prime, absolutely yes; even though I never actually reached it in my career or in my life. I like myself much more,” he said via FcInter1908.
“Baggio was brilliant; Totti was the greatest No.10 in the history of Italian football; Del Piero was a phenomenal player, but if I had reached 100%, I would have been stronger than all three.
“What did I have more than Totti? I was more creative, more physical than Baggio and more of everything than Del Piero. He scored more than I, but I’m talking about my prime,” he added.
“If I had done what I was meant to, I would have had no rivals. Goals don’t tell the whole story. I was something else.”
Cassano scored 112 goals and provided 100 assists in 400 Serie A appearances with Bari, Roma, Sampdoria, Milan, Inter and Parma.
He also played for Real Madrid but managed only four goals and three assists in 29 appearances.
The former striker scored 10 goals in 39 appearances for the Italy national team, helping the team reach the Euro 2012 Final.
Del Piero and Totti won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, while Baggio finished 3rd with the Azzurri at Italia ’90, 2nd at USA ’94, and was knocked out in the quarter-finals at France ’98.