Sports Nicknames - The Jewel of Old Bari, Il Bambino Terribile

Antonio Cassano, the Italian professional footballer, was one of the most gifted players of his generation. Cassano did some incredible things on the playing field, as he received some of the finest nicknames in his playing career.



Cassano started his playing career for his home team Bari (a professional football club in Italy), in 1999. His amazing talent and wonderful performances earned him a transfer to the premier Italian Football Club Roma in 2001. He won the Supercoppa Italiana title with the club and was twice named the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year. In 2006, he moved to Bernabeu as Real Madrid added him to their mix. However, he soon returned to Italy and stayed there for the rest of his career.


Nicknames:

Antonio was a very lively presence on the playing field and remained at the center of attention because of his incredible performances and vibrant nature. Over the years, he earned two top-class nicknames that stay with him even today. His performances and attitude have a lot to do with the nicknames.

Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia (The Jewel of Old Bari):

Cassano was born in Bari and played most of his early football in his hometown. Even the start of his playing career was with Bari. Over the years, Cassano inspired and impressed one and all with his impressive technique and skill set levels. His talent, coupled with a naturally gifted technique, made him one of the most dangerous supporting forwards of his time. He had this natural ability to play as an attacking midfielder, a winger, or a striker. On top of that, he could do equally good at all of these positions.

Based on his impressive performances, he was given the nickname "Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia", which meant "The Jewel of Old Bari." Cassano had become the face of Bari and made his people genuinely proud with his performances at the highest level.

El Pibe de Bari (The Kid From Bari):

In his early years, Cassano attracted attention from the Italian Football circles. He became the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year in 2001 and 2003. At this time, the nickname "El Pibe de Bari" became famous in Italian circles as the young kid received appreciation from one and all.

Fantantonio:

The nickname fantantonio is a wonderful mix of two words (Fantastic and Antonio). The nickname shows how special Antonio was. Fantantonio was the right word to praise the gifted player Antonio was.


Il Bambino Terribile (The Terrible Infant)

Cassano had a fiery attitude and had a falling out with many of the coaches he played for. This is how he earned the nicname "Il Bambino Terrible", which translates to "The Terrible Infant."


Achievements:

Over the years, Antonio Cassano won a La Liga Title, a Serie A Title, and two Supercoppa Italiana Titles. He represented Italy at three UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup. He was part of the side that won the runners-up medal at the UEFA Euro 2012. He remains the leading goal scorer for Italy in the European Championships.


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