Former Italian footballer Antonio Cassano has made some strong statements, saying that in his best years he would have been better than legends Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero, but admits he never reached his full potential.
Cassano made the comments on the "Viva el Fútbol" podcast, which he hosts alongside former players Daniele Adani and Nicolo Ventola, after a follower asked him if he was superior to the three Italian stars at the peak of his career.
"In my best years, absolutely yes, although I've never achieved 100% in my career or in my life. Baggio was extraordinary, Totti is the best 'ten' in the history of Italian football, Del Piero was a phenomenal player, but if I had achieved my 100 percent, I would have been better than them."
"What was I better than Totti? I was more creative than him; physically stronger than Baggio and better in everything than Del Piero. He scored more goals than me, but I'm talking about my best years. If I had done what I had to do, I wouldn't have had competition. I was different," Cassano declared.
In his Serie A career, Cassano recorded 112 goals and 100 assists in around 400 appearances, playing for Bari, Roma, Sampdoria, Milan, Inter and Parma. He also played for Real Madrid, where he scored 4 goals and provided 3 assists in 29 appearances.
With the Italian national team, Cassano scored 10 goals in 39 matches and was part of the team that reached the Euro 2012 final.
Meanwhile, Totti and Del Piero were part of the Italy that won the 2006 World Cup, while Baggio has been one of the key figures for the "Azzurri" in major tournaments, including the 1994 World Cup, where Italy finished runners-up. /Telegraph/
