Parma's Antonio Cassano Does Not a Warrant a Place in Italy's World Cup Squad

Now that the 32 nations are decided for next year's World Cup, we can expect to be immersed in the speculation of which players will be summoned to feature on the globe's biggest stage.

Whilst there is still six months of domestic football to soak up—not to mention the continental competitions, with the current high-octane group stages rapidly lurching towards climax—a World Cup fiesta to be hosted by the samba sorcerers Brazil is a truly salivating prospect.

England boss Roy Hodgson has already claimed that there will be no surprise inclusions in his squad (an assertion reported by the BBC), although we've heard that from his predecessors right before they select mercurial wild cards.

Vicente del Bosque, head honcho of the formidable reigning champions Spain, has the luxury of the majority of his players being team-mates—of the squad which competed in their final round of qualifiers last month, 15 of the 23 belonged to either Barcelona or one of the Madrid clubs.

Comparatively, England's equivalent (the Manchester clubs and Chelsea) contributed only 11 of the 23 at the same period.

After their last-gasp qualification—where they defied the odds to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first-leg and defeat Ukraine 3-2—France coach Didier Deschamps suddenly has the unexpected task of assembling a cohesive and harmonious squad, something which has proved difficult in recent years.

It's not even worth dwelling on Germany. Having scored 36 goals in qualifying matches (the most of any European nation), if anyone were to have minimal selection worries, it is Joachim Loew and Die Mannschaft. 

And then there is Italy, a nation who won the coveted trophy as recently as 2006 and who, ahead of their friendly last week, were described by Loew as "artisan illusionists" and "unique in the world" (as reported via Football Italia). 

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"They are a unique team able to control, change and adjust their style like nobody else" - Germany coach Joachim Loew on England Italy

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Perennially tumultuous, they have been steady in the last 12 months. Having lost just three of their 18 fixtures this year (including their penalty defeat to Spain in the Confederations Cup), there is a sense of cautious optimism regarding their chances of reigning supreme in Rio.

In Cesare Prandelli, the Azzuri have an assured and capable coach at the helm who can navigate turbulent tests.

In addition to the core of omnipresent stalwarts he has come to rely on—Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo and (temperament depending) Mario Balotelli—Prandelli used last week's friendly games to demonstrate that there are still spaces up for grabs.

One of those who have been staking a claim with recent performances is Parma's Antonio Cassano. 

The player himself, when asked about his chances of boarding the Rio-bound plane at Rome's Fiumicino airport, has been coy, almost dismissive. "Let's not start a controversy", he declared at the weekend (in quotes reported by The Guardian). "I would love to go but don't ask me if I deserve it or not".

How do we gauge whether a player "deserves" a berth or not? The principal decider will inevitably be their form—do they exude the necessary quality which will augment the national team?

Cassano's pedigree is not in doubt. Aged just 18, Roma spent £19 million to bring the Bari player to the Stadio Olimpico (as reported by Sky Sports). 39 goals in 118 appearances followed, before he went on to enjoy spells at Real Madrid, Sampdoria and Parma, as well as completing that sin few have dared and play for both Milan clubs.

This season he has contributed five goals, including the winners against Napoli and AC Milan. Ahead of a five-man midfield, he has slotted in seamlessly alongside Nicola Sansone, providing three assists and averaging 40 passes per game.

His fitness is questionable though, something which has plagued him throughout his career (although it must be noted he has been more cautious since heart surgery in April 2012). Of the 13 games he has started this season, he has only completed 90 minutes on seven occasions.

However, when deciding international inclusions, it is paramount to factor in a player's attitude. In Cassano's case, his record has several blemishes.

There was the dispute with Roma's then-manager Bruno Conti in 2005 as the striker dragged his heels over renewing his contract.

A move to Real Madrid followed in January 2006 but as the player gained weight, he was fined (by the gram) for a perceived lack of professionalism. He was frozen out by then-manager Fabio Capello, a coach who had previously empowered him when the two were at Roma.

A return to Italy finally materialised in August 2007 (courtesy of Sampdoria) but, after a fruitful spell, he clashed with management, this time after he failed to attend an event.

More disputes and feuds followed. After 18 months in the red and black of AC Milan, he pushed through a transfer in August 2012 to the blue and black of Inter Milan. In a disappointing season, Cassano clashed with then-coach Andrea Stramaccioni on multiple occasions.

Even prior to that, when it appeared the player was starting to mellow, on the eve of Euro 2012 he made inappropriate remarks which was construed as homophobic: "Poofs in the national team? I hope not" (as reported by The Telegraph's Jason Burt).

Cassano will always be prolific. With a career extending back to 1999, he has surpassed 300 league appearances and, at 96, is now just four goals shy of hitting the century milestone.

But next summer, as Italy travel to an unknown climate and attempt to become the first European team to win a World Cup in South America, Cassano cannot be trusted.

Age is a corollary issue. At 31, he is the same age as Alberto Gilardino, a player who is trusted by Prandelli and has scored almost double as many international goals to Cassano (19 to 10).

There are younger players who are playing and scoring. Torino pair Alessio Cerci, 26, and Ciro Immobile, 23, have scored a combined 13 goals in the 11 games they have played together. Sassuolo's 19-year-old Domenico Berardi has been a revelation who, despite his team being mired in poor form, has scored seven goals in eight games.