Cassano accuses Allegri of nepotism: 'He had friends writing Di Maria was dead man walking'

Antonio Cassano claims Juventus coach Max Allegri relies on his journalist friends to influence the public.

The retired striker never misses an opportunity to berate his former Milan coach either for his personal demeanor or his rigid tactics.

In the past, several of Allegri’s detractors have accused him of receiving favors from a section of the press thanks to personal relationships.

Cassano echoes this sentiment, accusing the Juventus boss of using nepotism to solidify his position at the club while throwing some of his players under the bus.

The notorious Italian names Leandro Paredes and Angel Di Maria as two victims of the Livorno native. The two Argentines spent the last campaign in Turin before moving to Roma and Benfica respectively.

“There are coaches who have great friends in the press. Allegri has those four or five runaways who look after him, telling them what they have to write,” claimed the former Real Madrid and Roma star during an event in Catania via JuventusNews24.

“This gentleman made Paredes pass like a waiter last year, and even let Barrenechea play instead of him.

“He made some of his friends write that Di Maria was a dead man walking, when six months earlier he had won a World Cup.

“We’re talking about a phenomenal player, one who decides finals. He has already scored 22 goals for Benfica this season.

“Now Allegri wants to take the credit and so he’s asking his friends to help him stay at the club.”

The under-fire tactician still has a year left on his Juventus contract, but many accounts in Italy expect the management to end his tenure one way or the other.