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Cassano: ‘In ’99, Icardi wouldn’t have made it in the starting XI’

Cassano: ‘In ’99, Icardi wouldn’t have made it in the starting XI’

Former Inter Milan and Sampdoria man Antonio Cassano finally retired for good this year as he put to an end a playing career that spread around 20 years with a range of different clubs and Italy. Speaking at Il Secolo XIX, Cassano said the following:
 
“I would like to stay in football, yes, and I would like to do it on the front line, technical area, observer, as sports director. Two examples in Italy for me are Ausilio Inter which is a top club and Rossi of Sassuolo, but of Guardiola there is one in the world. And in Italian football, little quality suited to that philosophy.
 
“In 1999, for example, when I started among professionals , in the Reggina that struggled to save itself there were people like Pirlo, Cozza and Baronio. What has changed since then? There is a period for everything. At that time Italian football was made of many numbers 10, Baggio, Totti, Del Piero, me, and many good defenders. In 2006 we won a World Championship playing with long ball on Toni. Guardiolism now reigns. If Icardi had been at Inter [in 99] he would have been in front of Ronaldo and Vieri, would he have played?”
 
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