Former AC Milan doctor Rudy Tavana has revealed that Antonio Cassano almost died of cardiac arrest in a club car park — but quick intervention from teammate Thiago Silva and the medical team saved his life.
Antonio Cassano’s turbulent career was nearly cut short by a life-threatening heart scare during his time at AC Milan — one that was only avoided thanks to Thiago Silva’s quick thinking and decisive medical intervention.
The Night Cassano Collapsed
Cassano, who played for Milan between 2011 and 2012, suddenly fell ill after returning from a Serie A match in Rome. Former club doctor Rudy Tavana revealed in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport that Silva noticed Cassano’s confusion and immediately alerted the medical staff upon landing at Malpensa airport.
“Thiago Silva came to me and said, ‘Doctor, Cassano isn’t well, he’s confused,’” Tavana recalled. “We found him in the car park, wanting to drive home. After basic neurological tests, we realized something was wrong. Dr. Mazzoni drove him to the hospital, where tests showed it was a neurological issue linked to his heart. Cassano underwent surgery, and the problem was resolved.”
Cassano himself later admitted that Tavana’s authority in that moment forced him to accept help, likely saving his life.
From Real Madrid Struggles to Milan Success
Cassano’s career had already been a rollercoaster by the time he joined Milan. After breaking through at Bari and starring at Roma, he moved to Real Madrid in 2006 but fell out with Fabio Capello over discipline and behavior. A revival at Sampdoria earned him a Milan move, where he won the Scudetto alongside Zlatan Ibrahimović.
But the heart scare in 2011 was a turning point. By 2012, he was included in a swap deal with Inter for Giampaolo Pazzini, and his career slowly declined before his retirement in 2017.
Life After Football
Today, Cassano works as a pundit and is a regular on Bobo TV, hosted by Christian Vieri. Having completed his sporting director course at Coverciano, the former forward has expressed hopes of returning to football in a management or director’s role.
