Antonio Cassano was rushed to the hospital last weekend. The AC Milan striker was suffering from paralysis and felt ill. The Italian ANSA news agency reports that the Italian has had a stroke. Should this even be the lightest kind, known as an ischemic stroke (TIA), then this could spell major problems for Cassano and AC Milan. The omens are not good: His career as a footballer is probably over.
The severity of the stroke that Cassano had is not immediately clear. His club, AC Milan, have not disclosed much information about his health at this point. They do underline that there is a noticeable improvement in his medical condition so that he can be subjected to new tests today (Tuesday).
But even if Cassano has had the lightest version of a stroke, which is called a transient ischemic attack, there is an intensive rehabilitation process ahead of him, with the high risk of relapse and depression, according to medical documentation. Research shows that one third of all persons who have had a stroke, end up in a state of depression. An emotional person such as Cassano could easily be more affected by depression-like symptoms.
Then there is the damage in the brain itself. This damage can be done in two ways. One, in the language dominant hemisphere, allowing functions such as speech and recognition to be damaged. Two, in the non-language dominant hemisphere, causing emotional changes. The brain damage that occurs during a stroke is irreversible.
This damage, combined with the recovery period the rest of the body needs to get healthy again, will no doubt have a major impact on the further football career of Antonio Cassano. He will probably never play football on a professional level again.
Remarkably, Cassano is the second AC Milan-player in less than three months time with a career-threatening situation which requires hospitalization. Gennaro Gattuso was taken to hospital two months earlier with paralysis of a facial nerve, which lead to double vision and a collision with a teammate during the opening game of the season against Lazio Roma. Gattuso is still recovering and is expected not to play professional football again.
Hopefully, the situation is less serious than the omens predict, and Cassano will recover from the stroke. His colorful personality should not be lost this easily.
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