Cassano wants to shed bad-boy image

ITALY striker Antonio Cassano said he was anxious to shed his bad-boy image after completing his transfer from Roma to Real Madrid yesterday.

“Everyone has labelled me as a difficult character, but I want to show them that I’m not like that,” the 23-year-old said following his €5.5 million move to Spain.

Cassano, who was embroiled in a dispute with Roma over his contract which was due to expire at the end of the season, recognised he had made mistakes in the past.

“Who hasn’t made mistakes? I certainly have and I’ve paid dearly for them. As for the reasons for why I left Roma, all I can say is that whenever there is a divorce the fault lies with both sides and that is true in this case.”

Cassano is only the second Italian to sign for Real, following in the footsteps of defender Christian Panucci who played for the club between 1997 and 1999.

“Cassano is an undeniably talented player, who despite his youth has played at the top level in one of the most competitive leagues in the world for several years,” Panucci said.