As anyone who has ever divorced will testify, sometimes it is necessary to call time on a big commitment. Footballers who sign big money contracts are no strangers to this maxim, but some jump ship a little earlier than expected. With this in mind, Spoiler correspondent Ben Baker has compiled a top ten list of the shortest spells in football club history. And guess who tops the list…
Sol Campbell
After a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance at Meadow Lane and a quick team photo, the man whom Spurs fans lovingly refer to as ‘Judas’ picked up his boots and walked out on his £40,000-a-week contract. If he manages to stay fit and win his war with his own metabolism, perhaps a fleeting appearance in the MLS lies ahead for football’s least decisive man..
Ali Dia
A favourite story among football fans who are less than supportive of Graeme Souness (and let’s be honest, there are a fair few): after allegedly receiving a call from former World Footballer of the Year George Weah ‘bigging up’ his ‘cousin’, Souness signed him up without reservation. He even had the audacity to replace Sir Tiss with him. Dia was so dreadful that he was hauled off, lasting about 20 minutes. Oh well, Southampton’s loss was Gateshead’s gain…kind of.
Dietmar Hamann
After it appeared that Hamann was surplus to
Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano is not a man of strict belief, but he has always followed one rule: if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing in your pants.
The batshit crazy striker had little effect as his side lost 1-0 to Internazionale last night, but was in a jubilant mood as Sampodoria qualified for the Italian Cup final 3-1 on aggregate.
Most Italians haven’t warmed to the Special One’s charms, so it’s nice to see one of them showing some love. Check out the moment of impact after the jump. It’s quite beautiful…
Could the former Inter boss succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari?
A friend of The Spoiler spotted Roberto Mancini getting onto a District Line tube at Fulham Broadway one Wednesday last month. The former Inter Milan boss was accompanied by a friend who was carrying a bag from the Chelsea Megastore. Our contact, who is a big Sampdoria fan, spoke to Mancini to confirm his identity and reminisce about his time at the Blucerchiati. The Italian got off the tube at Wimbledon.
The ladies - they cannot resist this handsome devil
Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano is known for his short temper and on-pitch hissy fits, yet in his autobiography, the 26-year-old reveals his near-legendary inability to keep his pants on when attractive women are around. Cassano, who once called the irrefutably-gifted Rosaria Cannavò his girlfriend, claims to have put away somewhere in the region of 700 ladies. Our German friends at Bild report:
“I was engaged four times in eleven years, and I experienced some adventures. I slept with between 600 and 700 girls, 20 of whom belong to the world of the show business.”
During his time at Real Madrid - where his constant unprofessional behaviour and displays of “disrespect” towards Fabio Capello saw him sidelined and suspended - Cassano enjoyed some of his best steamrollering years. The Italian says sex before games was frequent, and he could invite whomever he wanted to the team hotel. Once he had had his way with a lady, he claims he would exchange them with a friend who worked at a hotel for “three or four croissants.” He called sex and a meal “the perfect night,” but neglected to mention how football fitted into the equation.
Nowadays, Casanno is settled down with Carolina Marcialis, a 17-year-old water polo player.
Sampdoria “star” bids farewell to his self-respect, for this lifetime at least
Antonio Cassano was not so long ago boasting of his qualities as a) a top class ladies’ man, steamrollering his way through the women of Madrid, and b) a model professional equipped with the supreme strength of mind required to turn his back on all that Spanish vagingo and focus once more on being brilliant at football.
Last weekend, playing against Torino, Cassano revealed another side to his personality, that of master sulker extraordinaire. Even in a country which is unrivalled in its command of the theatrical gesture, Cassano’s interpretation of “big mardy baby” must have left both sets of fans speechless with wonder.
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