Serie A icon, Antonio Cassano, has labelled Gennaro Gattuso as the best player he has ever played with and recalled a hilarious story invoving the AC Milan icon and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
What Did Antonio Cassano Say About Gennaro Gatusso and Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
Antonio Cassano is one of the most notorious names in Serie A history, playing for both Milan sides, Roma, Parma, Bari and Sampdoria, accumulating 400 appearances in Italy’s top-flight.
During these 400 appearances, Cassano contributed to 213 goals, scoring 121 and assisting a further 101, winning the league title with AC Milan in 2010/11.
Playing for over 18 years, Cassano was a part of top teams on multiple occasions and played with some of the biggest names in soccer history – including the likes of Del Piero, Ronaldo, Zidane, Buffon and many more.
However, the Italian was asked about the best player he has ever played with and the former AC Milan star picked a surprising name, selecting Gennaro Gattuso.
Cassano said: “I played alongside legends like Ronaldo, Zidane, and Totti – I could name billions of greats. But if I had to pick my own team, the first player I’d choose would be Gattuso.
“He has infectious enthusiasm, a larger-than-life personality, and is the perfect teammate. He knows exactly what to do and does it brilliantly.
“He’s a born leader; you could see it even in training: he gave 110%, and if someone got ahead of him, he would do everything to get back in front.
“He had an incredibly long finger, he used to shove his hand in my mouth and lift me up when I didn’t want to train. Sometimes he pretended it was a fishing hook, or he’d give me a whack on the head.
“At Milan, there was a certain philosophy, and after Maldini and Costacurta left, he became the leader. With him, we won the Scudetto.”
The iconic Italian midfielder was the heart and soul of both the Italian national side and AC Milan, before turning to management and Gattuso recently picked out the key flaw in the Serie A as a manager.
Cassano and Gattuso played together for the Italian national side on multiple occasions, while also spending the 2011/12 season together with AC Milan.
It was during this spell together that Cassano also played with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Italian revealed a hilarious story where the Swede put Gattuso in a bin.
“One time, they joked around, Gattuso and Ibrahimovic. Zlatan grabbed him and shoved him into a trash bin, then sat on top of him. Rino was upside down, and from the outside, you could see him wriggling like a snake until he finally broke the bin. His strength was incredible.”
How Good Was Gattuso?
The Italian icon is known for his bulldog like approach in the centre of midfield, having a tenacious energy and battling for every second of a match.
Gattuso made 368 appearances in Serie A, winning two league titles, two Coppa Italiana trophies and a Coppa Italia, cementing himself as a legend in Milan.
Alongside an illustrious club career, Gattuso also earned 73 caps for the Azzurri and started every match in Italy’s 2006 World Cup winning run.
The 47-year-old has now taken his biggest step after his playing career, as Gattuso became the manager of the Italian national side and replaced Luciano Spalletti.
This decision came after Italy’s poor run of form, including a 3-0 defeat to Norway and saw Italy drop down the pricing to win the 2026 World Cup on the best betting apps.
