Italy

Donadoni Does Not Believe Napoli Can Sign Sampdoria Star Cassano

The Partenopei boss does not believe the Bari-born talent will be making the move south to Naples in the off-season...

May 19, 2009 5:51:37 PM

Antonio Cassano in action for his Sampdoria side

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Antonio Cassano in action for his Sampdoria side

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Antonio Cassano has enjoyed two fantastic seasons since moving to Sampdoria in 2007 and has attracted interest from other clubs in Italy. The press have most recently linked him with a move to Napoli, who struggled in the second-half of the campaign, but coach Roberto Donadoni does not believe that transfer is a possibility.

"Cassano? We must be realistic. He is a player of quality that I like and admire, but I will not pull the wool over people's eyes," explained the former Rossoneri winger to the Corriere dello Sport during a press conference.

"It is in haste that these names are thrown around, but the expectations are in vain. We will remain grounded."

The tactician continued by explaining that even if Napoli cannot sign big names like Cassano, they still intend to add talent over the summer in order to improve.

"Everyone would like to get players like [Lionel] Messi, [Andres] Iniesta, or [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, but we must be practical and see what chances are available to us.

"Undoubtedly, Napoli must move forward. I'm optimistic, because I speak about and compare situations with the club every day."

Donadoni included Cassano in Italy's Euro 2008 squad, where the Azzurri lost out to Spain at the quarter-final stage.

Adam Scime, Goal.com