Charles De Ketelaere’s stellar performances for Atalanta have been turning heads, even impressing some of the most critical pundits in Italian football. Antonio Cassano, known for his uncompromising opinions, has recently lauded the Belgian star, comparing him to football greats and predicting a bright future.
Speaking on the show “Viva el Futbol,” Cassano didn’t hold back his admiration for De Ketelaere. “He’s the strongest player in Serie A today, the one who excites me the most, he’s fantastic,” Cassano enthused. “He has a unique touch of the ball in the league, he has a change of pace, he can head the ball, he has personality. He impresses in Italy but also in Europe now, because that’s his level.”
Cassano went on to place De Ketelaere among the elite players in world football. “He might not play at Liverpool with Salah, he might not play at Barcelona with Yamal, but he could play at Real Madrid, at Bayern Munich,” he stated, underlining the Belgian’s potential to compete at the highest level.
The former Italy international also criticized AC Milan’s handling of De Ketelaere during his time there. “I have to blame Pioli a bit for De Ketelaere, because he had patience with Leao, less with the Belgian instead,” Cassano remarked. He then drew a striking comparison: “When he controls the ball, he reminds me of Kaka. I’ve only seen him make that oriented touch.”
Looking to the future, Cassano made a bold prediction: “I think he’s destined to go to top teams to compete for the Ballon d’Or. Leaving aside Salah, today in his role, only Yamal is ahead of De Ketelaere for me.”
