One Real Madrid star once gained 14kg in seven months due to Nutella addiction

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FT Desk

Antonio Cassano didn't have a particularly memorable stint at Real Madrid, not on the pitch at least.

The Italian joined Los Blancos in January of 2006 from Roma for around €5.5 million. Madrid saw him as a talented attacking player who could add creativity to their already star-studded squad.

He started well, scoring on his debut against Real Betis, but his time at the club quickly deteriorated. His relationship with manager Fabio Capello became a major problem, and disciplinary issues eventually saw him dropped from first-team training.

Cassano made 29 official appearances, scoring four goals, and won the 2006–07 La Liga title. Overall, his spell was disappointing compared with the huge expectations surrounding him, and he left on loan to Sampdoria in 2007.

Fitness was a major issue during his time at the Bernabeu, which is part of the reason he was dropped from first-team training by Capello.

Years later, Cassano admitted that, during his time at the club, he gained 14 kilograms due to his appetite for Nutella.

"When I arrived at Real Madrid, I lost 12 kilos immediately," he said in a podcast conversation with former Italy teammates including Christian Vieri and Fabio Cannavaro.

"Then I gained them back. Nutella was one of the club sponsors and each month they would give us five kilograms of the product.

"When Capello arrived [summer of 2006], I scored two goals in two games and I felt like I was the king of the world.

"He replaced me in the first half against Lyon, I had an argument with him in Jerez and he withdrew me from the team. In seven months, I gained 14 kilos.

"I ate Nutella directly from the jar and I couldn't care about anything. I was disgusting."

Cassano has dealt with weight problems throughout his career and it undoubtedly impacted his reputation as he was once known as one of the most promising wonderkids in world football. To his credit, he regrets failing to take his opportunity at Madrid.

"My biggest mistake was the year-and-a-half at Real Madrid, because I did everything and more to ruin it," he said.

"That's a huge regret."

After leaving Real Madrid in 2007, Cassano joined Sampdoria, where he rebuilt his reputation as one of Serie A’s most creative attackers. He later played for AC Milan (winning Serie A), as well as Inter Milan and Parma, before returning to Sampdoria.

He retired from football in 2018.

Back when Gonzalo Higuain left Milan for Chelsea, he was criticised after a team photo showed him holding a packet of Nutella B-Ready biscuits en route to an away trip.

He too has faced accusations about his weight over his career.