Mirco Antenucci was a Leeds United hero for his short tenure but he didn’t shy away from being passionate when playing.
The Italian striker was only with the Whites for two seasons but made a detrimental impact on the fanbase.
It’s become apparent that the former player hasn’t held back recently as Antenucci exposed Red Bull’s interest in Leeds.
He played in a Leeds side that wasn’t exactly glittering with success but stood out with his ability in front of goal, and his creative sparks.
Antenucci’s fierce side came out at times, and that was certainly the case at the end of the 2015/16 season under Steve Evans, as Chris Wood’s actions didn’t look good.
Why former Leeds United star Mirco Antenucci has called out Chris Wood
Wood seemingly had a better career at Leeds than the Italian, but that wasn’t to say there was a difference in favoritism from fans.
In what was a lacklustre time for the club in the Championship, both strikers shone through and made their mark.
With the New Zealand forward now in the form of his life at Nottingham Forest, Wood has praised James Beattie at Leeds, who has helped him become the player he is today.
However, despite his success, Wood was involved in a selfish moment with Antenucci, which doesn’t bode well for the Premier League star.
Antenucci spoke to the Italian podcast, MIRCA, about a situation that unfolded which left the Italian seething with Wood’s actions.
“I scored 10 in 14/15, 9 in 15/16. I wanted to reach double figures,” Antenucci said.
“The penalty takers were myself and Chris Wood. He was a great penalty-taker. He had already scored 12 goals that season.
“In the last game of the season (at Preston), we were awarded a penalty. Chris grabbed the ball and didn’t want to leave it to me. But we were in front of 4k Leeds away fans, so I left the ball to him to take the penalty.
“But I said to Chris, this is not how you do it. I have 9 goals, I want the 10th. It’s my last game for Leeds.
“He had already scored 12, I wanted to leave with double figures. I was very disappointed. If the roles were reversed, I would have given the ball to Chris.”
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Where Antenucci plays his football today after Leeds stint
It was unfortunate that Antenucci didn’t stick around for longer, but Wood’s actions probably cemented his exit despite already leaving for Italy.
The striker still holds a place for the Whites in his heart, as Antenucci has praised Sam Byram as someone who’s had a keen eye on.
His Leeds exit came quickly after a short time, but Antenucci could’ve returned to England with Wolves, but instead, it seemed like he wanted to honour his time in England with Leeds.
From then on out, Antenucci has spent the rest of his career in his home country, only playing for SPAL and Bari where he has been a raging success.
Now at 40, he still plays for SPAL to this day and is having some season with 11 goals in the Italian third tier.
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