Italy found itself in a bit of a crisis this week. I know, I know, but trust me this
one is a humdinger because Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned on Thursday at
the time of writing nobody knows what is going to happen next. Yikes.

Italy it would seem does not have a leader.

Which brings us quite craftily to the subject of this week’s blog, because on
Saturday afternoon even the most hardened cynic could not have failed to be
impressed by the heart warming performance of possible leader in the making . . .
(drum roll) . . . Antonio Cassano.

I hear laughing at the back.

Now you could say it was only Siena and I am not suggesting for one moment that
Cassano is the man to resurrect the flagging economy, fight the gripping tax evasion
epidemic and get those streets in Naples cleaned up, I mean the boy has to train -
but sticking to calcio, seeing him on the sideline after being substituted,
encouraging his team mates, pointing, gesticulating . . . well, it “warmed the
cockles” as my Nan used to say.

It looks like he is enjoying life at the Luigi Ferrari and clearly looked “up for
it” from the first whistle against Siena. After three minutes, he cut inside from
the left and smashed a twenty five yarder against crossbar and when he got a sniff
of a chance just before half time, he swept the ball into the far corner past the
despairing keeper. No fuss. The kind of goal that’s made to look easy by players of
class, the kind of goal that wins matches and 1-0 was how it indeed finished.

He made a point of celebrating with his coach Mazzari and seeing them both on the
touchline in the later stagesof the game, it is clear a special bond has been forged
between the two.

So, Sampdoria captain? Could be. Possibly.

Now granted, the man with the armband for now is midfielder Sergio Volpi who is as
much of an unsung name in Sampdoria’s midfield as I’m guessing Alexei Aleksandrovich
Mikhailichenko was for them in the early 90’s, but he is a consistent and reliable
figure and given that the previous captain was cocaine quaffer Francesco Flachi, it
may not seem particularly prudent to hand the armband straight over to the
pot-marked prince of petulance from Bari.

But Cassano is growing and hopefully maturing and fans of Italian football must be
hoping that the corner being turned is one that leads to a call up from for la
nazionale and a telling contribution at Euro 2008.

If all that happens, by the time we reach South Africa 2010, Italy will really have
a leader on which to rest their hopes.

Ross Howard