Cassano 'tells everything' in controversial biography
Saturday November 15 2008
BEFORE the Christmas rush of boring footballer biographies begins, it's worth mentioning a book where the subject actually has something interesting to say.
Italian bad boy Antonio Cassano is launching 'Dico Tutto' (I'll Tell Everything) this week and, judging from some of the excerpts, it should be a hilarious read.
The Sampdoria player has given his views on a wide range of subjects -- especially women -- but he reserves quite a bit of venom for some of the men in his life, notably Fabio Capello, his former coach, whom Cassano once called "a worthless man, you're more fake than Monopoly money".
Another former Roma coach, Luigi Del Nero, fares little better with Cassano commenting "I never understood what the **** he was on about". As for former Italy U-21 coach Claudio Gentile? "I detested him".
Revealing that he has slept with between 600 and 700 women, Cassano fondly recalls his time in Madrid where he had a little arrangement with a staff member at his hotel.
"I made friends with one of the waiters. His job was to bring me 3 or 4 cornetti (an Italian pastry) after I had sex. He would bring the cornetti to the stairs, I would bring the girl and we would make a trade: he took the girl, I stuffed myself with cornetti. Sex plus food, the perfect night."
Thankfully, Cassano is now madly in love with a 17-year-old -- repeat, a 17-year-old -- Italian water polo player.
Red card sparks Bolivia riot
THE words flamboyance, exuberance, passion and violence are just some of the words we associate with South America, so it's no surprise that we head straight to Bolivia for a punch-up which got a little bit out of hand.
The Cochabamba derby between league champions Aurora and Wilstermann descended into anarchy after Aurora had a man sent off late in the game. Eduardo Zenteno refused to leave the field of play and when a group of police officers arrived to hurry him along all hell broke loose.
Zenteno's team-mates rushed to assist him, with some of the players aiming punches and karate kicks at the police, who hit back using pepper spray.
Aurora have since apologised for their actions, although they are bound to face severe punishment.
Elsewhere in Bolivia, a derby clash in Santa Cruz between Oriente Petrolero and Blooming also erupted into violence when a player imitated a chicken during a goal celebration.
QUOTE/UNQUOTE
"It wasn't a handcuffs sign, it was a private message, but I can see how people might have seen it like that and I apologise if it's caused any offence" -- The sooner football gets rid of morons like Ipswich Town's David Norris the better for everyone else.
"Maradona came and watched us train and I think the gaffer would probably like him to come every day the way he raised standards in the training. I hope he will go back to Argentina and say he's seen a great player -- Rio Ferdinand!" -- Oh Rio, your talents were wasted on football, you really should have been a comedian.
"The fact we've won the Carling Cup twice in the last four years and Arsenal have won none justifies our policy. Playing a young team undermines the value of the competition. And we have not and will not do that. We want to win it" -- Chelsea's assistant coach Ray Wilkins has his say on Wenger's young guns. What a shame his team couldn't follow up against Burnley.
STATE OF THE UNION
WHERE else to start except in the Bernabeu stadium where Real Union caused one of the greatest upsets in Copa del Rey history on Tuesday night by knocking out Real Madrid. With the Spanish champions leading 4-2 on the night and set to advance, Eneko Romo's 90th-minute header ensured Union went through on away goals.
AND FINALLY.........
A local league team in England have been left without a pitch after it was dug up by a bunch of wild boars.
Players and officials at Soudley in Gloucestershire were horrified to discover that their recently laid turf had been left with dozens of potholes after the marauding, porcine beasts took it over one night.
Club secretary Louise Stephens said club members were "absolutely devastated" by the damage. She said: "A resident saw the pitch at 8.30am and phoned my husband. There is no way of playing on the pitch now."
- Brian Carroll
