It appears the Antonio Cassano experiment is soon coming to an end at Sampdoria. The often troubled secondary striker made headlines last month when he apparently got into a heated argument with club president Riccardo Garrone before a match. Cassano was left out of the starting XI due to the locker room bust-up and now it is being reported that Sampdoria has decided to attempt to cut ties with the player who is still under contract until 2013.
Cassano did apologize after the incident claiming that his out of control behaviour spawned from marital problems the Italian had experienced at home, but the apology on television would not be enough to repair the damage done and the player’s initial threat of quitting the team likely cost him another chance with the 6th place club.
Cassano is beyond a doubt one of the most talented Italian footballers in the world, but the controversial striker has been directly involved in several highly publicised problems in the past including his days at Roma and Real Madrid prior to his move to Sampdoria.
Sampdoria’s president Garrone is especially disappointed with the star considering the considerable amount of money the president paid to acquire the star and his belief that Cassano could be straightened out. Cassano of course was neglected from the previous two World Cup final rosters because of his ability to clash with coaching staffs in the past and thousands of fans of the Azurri side were furious with Marcello Lippi for leaving the Sampdoria man off of the roster this season.
Club president Garrone admitted that the club “loses a lot” in the expected departure of Cassano, but it appears to be all but as guarantee that Cassano’s days of playing at Sampdoria are likely over:
Obviously Cassano is the best and without him, our team loses a lot, but we will move forward with our decision.
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