Cassano backs Real Madrid against Roma and criticises Mourinho

In a lengthy interview with Spanish newspaper AS, Cassano looked back on his time at Real Madrid and his memories of playing alongside some of football’s biggest stars. He also strongly criticised Mourinho, saying his philosophy had become outdated, before discussing the Champions League match against Roma, scheduled for Wednesday evening. Despite expecting a difficult game, Cassano gave Real Madrid an 80% chance of winning and said the team had the advantage in terms of quality.

Cassano also faulted the Madrid club for relying too heavily on individual stars to decide matches. In his view, Real Madrid should not sit back and wait for Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham or Vinícius to score and rescue the team. He compared Mourinho with Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, arguing that Gasperini’s football was better. Cassano even suggested Real Madrid could have won 10-0 if Gasperini had coached the team instead of Mourinho.

Earlier, Cassano had accused Mourinho of preferring talk to football, adding that the Portuguese coach was no longer as good as he once was and that his football philosophy had been outdated for about a decade. He also said Mourinho’s career was more associated with controversy and conflict than with a major footballing legacy. For Cassano, what matters more than a coach’s trophy count is how the team performs on the pitch.

The former player also challenged the star status given to Vinícius Júnior, while acknowledging his ability to score and influence some matches. Previously, he had said he preferred Rodrygo and believed the Brazilian had greater potential when fully fit. Cassano said Rodrygo deserved to start ahead of Vinícius if physically ready, adding that he admired him and was looking forward to his return.

Looking back on his career, Cassano also named the players who had impressed him: he put Lionel Messi above everyone and described Ronaldo Nazário as one of the greatest forwards he had ever seen. He acknowledged, too, that he had wasted a major opportunity at Real Madrid through a lack of discipline and commitment in training. Speaking about Fabio Capello, his former coach at Roma and Real Madrid, Cassano admitted he had not treated him as he deserved. Capello remained the most important coach of his career, he said, and their relationship was now good.